Unknown Skies: book 1 Listen to the Stars
by Stormikat
Summary: StarClan has decided they've interfered enough. After warning four cats of the danger from the Dark Forest, they close off communication. Now three ShadowClanners and a ThunderClan medcat have to find out a way to stop ThunderClan from being destroyed.End
1. Allegiances

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Summary: Part of the story centers around Lakefrost, Honeybee, Bagerface, and Mallowstalk in ShadowClan. They've been chosen by StarClan to prevent a disaster happening with the Clans. One cat is for it, two are not, and the last has his mind on other matters. The next part of the story is with Fawnfur, medicine cat apprentice of ThunderClan. StarClan sends her the warning that her Clan is in danger from someone close to her. She wants to find a way to stop her sister from falling from the path she should be on. Fawnfur searches for the four warriors who are meant to help her but one tom keeps getting in her way. The last 3rd is in Sunstorm's perspective. She is Fawnfur's sister, the one the med cat apprentice always relied on. Sunstorm decides to go on an adventure unaware that the Clans are in danger. She convinces Feathertail to take her to the Tribe of Endless Hunting where she meets a challenge that gets her lost in Unkown Skies._

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**Allegiances**

_Dead Cats:_

**The Tribe of Endless Hunting**

Stoneteller- brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Shadow from the Bat- black tom

Moss on Gray Stone- gray she-cat with golden-green eyes and long silver tail

Star of the Red Dawn- dark ginger tom with dark gray spots and stripes

Cloud Where the Starlings Fly- white tom with ginger spots

Flower Clinging to Rocky Slope- skinny light brown tabby she-cat

Water that Softly Falls- tortoiseshell she-cat with brown stripe and white paws

**StarClan**

Sunstorm- light ginger-brown she-cat with white underbelly and brown spots and stripes on her back, former ThunderClanner, had a former gift from StarClan

Hazeltail- small gray-and-white she-cat, former ThunderClanner, Sunstorm's StarClan mentor

Firestar- ginger tom with flame colored pelt with green eyes, former ThunderClan leader

Feathertail- light gray she-cat with blue eyes, former RiverClanner

Redfur- ginger tom, former WindClanner

_Living Cats:_

**ShadowClan**

**Leader** Fallingstar- light brown tabby she-cat with gray markings on her chest, belly and legs

**Deputy** Tigerheart*- dark brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat **Littlecloud- very small tabby tom apprentice: Flamestreak^- ginger tom

**Warriors**

Snowbird- pure white she-cat with blue eyes

Ivytail- black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Scorchtree^- dark gray tom

Redsky^- mottled brown and ginger tom

Dawncloud^- cream-furred she-cat  
_apprentice: Wrenpaw_

Olivespot^- tortoiseshell she-cat with a scarred tail

Stoneheart- gray tabby tom

Brownfeather- dark tabby tom  
_apprentice: Ashpaw_

Acornpelt- tortoiseshell-like tom with dark tabby head

Dappleflower- mottled brown she-cat with cream colored spots  
_apprentice: Bluepaw_

Orangestripe- ginger tom with orange stripes and white patches, one of Smoky's and Floss's kits

Knotfur- she-cat with long, tangled, black fur, one of Smoky's and Floss's kits

Lakefrost- light gray tom with white spots on face and blue eyes

Mallowstalk- ginger she-cat with black paws

Honeybee-light brown tabby she-cat with gray markings

Badgerface-dark brown tabby tom with black back and face with green eyes

**Apprentices**

Wrenpaw- brown she-cat with silver belly

Ashpaw- smokey gray tom with black paws

Bluepaw- silver-blue she-cat with white belly

**Queens**

Batwing- gray she-cat with large ears and black tail, mother of Acornpelt's two kits: Chestnutkit (light brown she-cat) and Pinekit (dark brown tabby tom with gray chin and paws).

**Elders**

Oakfur- small brown tom

**ThunderClan**

**Leader **Bramblestar- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy **Cinderheart- gray tabby she-cat

**Medicine Cat **Jayfeather- gray tabby tom  
_apprentice:_ Fawnfur-light ginger-brown she-cat with white underbelly and brown spots and stripes on her back, two spots on her ear

**Warriors**

Whitewing- white she-cat with green eyes  
_apprentice: Tigerpaw_

Sorreltail- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Squirrelflight- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Lionblaze- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Toadheart^- black and white tom

Bumblethroat- very pale gray tom with black stripes (?)

Dovetooth- gray frosted she-cat (?)

Ivyflight- light tabby she-cat (?)  
_apprentice: Meadowpaw_

Dewstep-Small gray tom with one white paw, green eyes, claw scarred throat

Firesong- bright ginger she-cat

Pricklethorn- dark tom with dark spots  
_apprentice: Rosepaw_

Owlface- long-haired silver tom with a large white face

Frostshine- white she-cat with a gray sheen and silver tabby markings on her legs, front paw split in two during battle

Nightshade- black tom with faint stripes on his tail, two scars going down his front legs

Lilyblossom-soft creamy she-cat with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Greeneyes- white she-cat with green eyes

Morningsong- light ginger-brown she-cat with white underbelly and brown spots and stripes on her back

**Apprentices**

Rosepaw- light brown tom with white paws

Meadowpaw- white she-cat with gray and ginger spots

Tigerpaw- dark brown tabby tom with black chest and tail

**Queens**

Lightningwhisker- black she-cat with cream-colored stripes on her legs, mother of Bumblethroat's two kits: Blackkit (black she-cat with white chest and paws) and Graykit (gray tom with dark gray stripes)

**Elders**

Brackenfur- golden tabby tom

Cloudtail- long white-haired tom with blue eyes

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches, half of her face is scarred

**WindClan**

**Leader** Onestar- brown tabby tom

**Deputy** Sunfrost^-tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

**Medicine Cat **Kestrelflight*- mottled gray tom

**Warriors**

Silverfoot- silver tabby tom

Timberleaf- gray she-cat with thick swirling stripes apprentice: Buddingpaw-yellow she-cat with white around eyes and paws

Mountainheart- large dark brown tabby tom

Swiftroot- white she-cat with long fur on her legs and one brown stripe on her back

**RiverClan**

**Leader **Rainstar- mottled gray-blue tom

**Deptuy **Pinefur- very short-haired tabby she-cat

**Medicine Cat** Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat

**Warriors**

Tigereye-golden tabby she-cat with one amber eye and one blue

Gorseclaw- gray tom with ginger patches on legs

Dustyhead- silver she-cat with pale brown head and front paw

**Summerheat Camp**

**Leader **Raven- dark tortoiseshell tom

**Deputy **Beaverpaw- brown tom with black and white tortoiseshell spotting, originally from ThunderClan

**Leafcat (medicine cat)**  
Leafpool- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
_apprentice:_ Lily- white she-cat missing an eye and an ear

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**(?) means I don't know warrior name**

*** different in some of my other stories**

**Thank you for reading this. Hope the rest of the story is better.**

**^ is Erins have made the warrior names but I am too lazy to change it and I prefer mine, although half way through I do change some of them**

**real (as seen in Omen of the Stars):**

**SC**

**DAWNPELT, FLAMETAIL, OLIVENOSE, SCORCHFUR, REDWILLOW**

**TC**

**Toadstep**

**WD**

**Sunstrike**


	2. Prologue

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Disclaimer: Listen to the Wind by Hayley Westenra_

_I got tired of not writing anything, so I decided to add this story early. Will add to it on occasion whenever I become bored. Will mainly continue in summer._

_So this story is a continuation of most of my others. You don't have to read them. It has many current cats the Erins made, but mostly there's a bunch of mine. Any notes you need to know, ask or I'll add it at the bottom of the chapters._

Shadows dance behind the firelight  
And all the spirits of the night remind us:  
We are not alone  
--Listen to the Wind _by_ Hayley Westenra

_On with the story!_

* * *

**Prologue**

In a secret forest glade, a large group of cats gathered, sitting side by side, fading off into the undergrowth of the forest. Starlight glittered on all their fur though the sun shone overhead. For a long moment they were quiet, eyeing each other, wondering who would speak first now that they were together.

Then finally, the oldest of the old stood up. Four cats who'd long been sleeping took the center of the glade. All eyes looked on them, attentive.

"It has been decided," an old tom rasped, "StarClan will not interfere again."

"What?"

Confusion rippled along the cats' ranks, starting in the front and moving out as the cats realized what the cat had said. The mewing became a buzz like bees around a hive.

"Silence!" yowled the black she-cat in the center.

Immediately the cats shut their jaws. Now they just looked at each other in confusion. Finally one brave cat stood up.

"What do you mean, Thunder?" the silver-blue she-cat asked. "River? Shadow? Wind?" She looked at all of the first leaders, accusation in her blue eyes.

"Peace, Bluestar," Thunder rumbled, his tail swishing in command. "All will be explained this day."

"Then tell us!" Bluestar snapped, her ears twitching. "You can't just say StarClan won't interfere and expect us to understand."

Many cats nodded their heads in agreement. River and Shadow shared a glance. Would their decedents keep their respect or follow the new leaders who had more recently died? Finally River stepped forward.

"StarClan has long guided the four Clans. We want them to survive, but never in such a short time have we ever had to be awakened so many times. First it was BloodClan, then it was the Great Journey, then it was the prophesy of the Three and Sol, and now it's this. ThunderClan stands on the brink of destruction like it's never had and it is all our fault."

The cats yowled in protest. They had done nothing. Why place the blame on them?

"Quiet," Thunder growled. It took longer to restore order.

"What do you mean?" a black and white tom with a long tail demanded. The former leader of WindClan stood up in challenge when all was mostly quiet again.

"We've been given a prophesy," River meowed. "We've been warned what will become of ThunderClan."

And then Thunder went off on something that didn't seem related at first.

"Ever since Firestar came, StarClan's role has changed," he meowed, meeting many cats' eyes. "Once upon a time we just guided and warned, speaking only to leaders and medicine cats and on the rare occasion a chosen warrior. Now we seem to interfere with everything. Coming down and showing ourselves at any time, giving cats our strengths. The Clans don't seem to make their own choices anymore. We always want to guide them to do it our way, not their own, and since we started interfering, so has the Dark Forest."

An uncomfortable hush started at Thunder's last hiss. He glared at them all.

"Tigerstar has spoken and guided cats ever since he died," Thunder continued when it looked like no one else would interrupt. "Before, when cats went to the Dark Forest, no one ever heard of them again and they walked alone. Tigerstar is gathering cats, living and dead, to destroy ThunderClan. The only reason he can do this is because of us. Our bothering the Clans has given the Dark Forest power."

"You're saying if we stop and ignore the problem it will go away?" an indignant gray cat spat.

"No," Thunder growled at her. "We are looking at the problem now, Yellowfang, and we've decided once we stop interfering and go back to the old ways, the Dark Forest will no longer have power. They will disband and no longer have the ability to cross into dreams and the living forest like we do."

"That's a big if," Yellowfang meowed, unbelieving.

"It's our only option," Thunder meowed solemnly, staring into her yellow eyes.

"What about the cats relying on us to protect them?" Bluestar demanded. "We can't just leave them alone with out any explanation."

"You won't have to," Wind meowed. "Medicine cats will be allowed to talk with other medicine cats and only at the Moonpool. The same with leaders. No more going out to them, they have to come to us." He set his eyes on a tortoiseshell she-cat.

Spottedleaf turned her head away.

"It won't matter soon," she meowed quietly. "He'd dying. Can I bring him?" she turned, her eyes flashing in sudden rebellion. She would go even if StarClan wouldn't let her. She would never let Firestar die alone.

"You may," Thunder nodded, sympathy in his eyes.

"What about ThunderClan?" a golden tom asked. "You said it would be destroyed. Why?"

"Oh, Sunstar," Thunder meowed, in his eyes a sudden ache. "Tigerstar is moving against them and it is our fault."

"But how? Why?"

Thunder sighed and closed his eyes. The ranks of former medicine cats and leaders waited while he collected his thoughts.

"Ever since we've been giving gifts to cats," Thunder meowed slowly, reminding them of Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Dovetooth, Fawnfur, Morningsong, and Sunstorm, "things have gone down hill. These gifts have all been to ThunderClan cats and Tigerstar has a grudge against ThunderClan and StarClan. He sees them as our chosen Clan, blessed by us. He wants to destroy them."

The cats stared at him in shock.

"Are we going to warn them?" Yellowfang asked quietly.

Thunder nodded. "We will choose cats and warn them. And then we will be silent."

"What are we going to tell them?" Bluestar asked glumly. "Nothing? Everything? You know what happened last time we withheld information. The wrong cat got it and almost destroyed ShadowClan."

"We will tell them what they must know," Thunder answered, his eyes hard.

"But who will be warn? Who will be able to stop this?"


	3. Chapter 1: Lakefrost

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Lakefrost crouched down, the bird in his sights. It pecked at the ground and the berries, oblivious to everything else. It felt it was safe. There was no undergrowth for a predator to hide in. It felt it would be warned in time to take flight. It thought it could see everything.

Lakefrost grinned. It hadn't met a ShadowClan cat before. They knew how to hide in the deepest shadows, to sneak up on anything, and how to patiently stay quiet. That was what he was doing now, hiding among the shaded roots of the Great Pine. He'd just killed a squirrel and this wren was begging to be caught.

His muscles rippled as he skimmed forward low over the ground. The fallen pine needles caught in his belly fur as he hurried onward. The needles also gave way as his feet pressed down on them, making him almost soundless as he hunted. But because of the needles, he didn't see the small stone. His claws hit it, making a click that was loud enough to scare the bird. As the rock rolled away, the bird, alerted, spread its wings and was in the air in a heartbeat. Lakefrost hissed and leapt after it. His body twisted in the sky, his claws reaching for the bird. They hit the tail feathers and held on. The bird dropped with the light gray tom attached to it. The bird squawked in shock and fear, but was quickly silenced when Lakefrost buried his jaws in its neck.

"I can't catch anymore," he sighed regretfully. Now that the bird had scared everything else off, there was no point in staying in the area. He picked up the wren and went to find the squirrel.

When Lakefrost returned to camp he saw Batwing, a gray she-cat with large black ears, following her two kits as they explored the ShadowClan camp for the first time. Their father, Acornpelt, was out on a border patrol. The only other cats in camp were Knotfur and Oakfur. Oakfur was the only elder and he was really old. Everyone thought he would be leaving any heartbeat, but still he hung on like the fur did off of his bones. At the moment he was smiling as the kits came his way, eager to bother another cat other than their mother.

Knotfur, a black she-cat with long, tangled fur, was sitting guard. She was to protect the kits if anything dangerous came. Luckily she didn't have to do much as no wild animal would attack a camp full of cats. ShadowClan had grown after that greencough epidemic so long ago. No foxes bothered them ever near camp. They were like a normal Clan again.

"Hello, Lakefrost," Knotfur called to him, her yellow eyes lighting up as she saw him.

Lakefrost meowed something back. It wasn't very audible through the prey. He set them down on the fresh-kill pile and turned to her.

"Hello Knotfur," he meowed back. "How has the camp been?"

"Slow," she sighed. "Olivespot's hunting patrol came back before you did. Oakfur didn't want to eat anything and the kits have been too busy. They're the most interesting thing around here. I'd play with them but if Fallingstar came back, I don't want to be caught not doing my duty."

Lakefrost nodded with a smile. It wasn't as if Fallingstar would punish Knotfur, but Knotfur felt obligated to do as the ShadowClan leader told her. Fallingstar had rescued Knotfur and her brother Orangestripe from the horseplace between WindClan and RiverClan territory.

The two were daughter and son of Smoky and Floss, the barn cats. The twolegs they lived with were known for getting rid of any kits the barn cats had. Fallingstar had known this and so offered to the two cats that if they had any kits she'd be willing to take them.

At that time ShadowClan wasn't very big and had just lost four cats. Snaketail, Kinkstar, Fernstripe, and Eveningbreeze had all died. They'd also lost the three cats who'd come to help them. Darkfire, Needlefur, and Hickorypaw had to go home to Summerheat Camp. Fallingstar had been in trouble and looking for outside help. Her Clan had not objected when she brought the two kits in. They knew they'd become warriors one day.

Lakefrost hadn't objected either. He'd just been a kit at the time, son of Fallingstar and Brownfeather, one kit out of four. The two new kits had become his friends. They were older than him and had their apprentice ceremony before him, but they were still his friends. There was also the fact that Knotfur was available for a mate and he had a feeling she liked him. He liked her too, but sometimes he wondered if Badgerface would prefer to have her for a mate. Badgerface had never really been interested in love, devoting himself to battle training, but Lakefrost wouldn't steal his brother's lover if he could help it.

"Well, I'll see if they want something now," Lakefrost meowed.

He picked up his squirrel, his bird, and a mouse. Then he walked over to the group.

Batwing was sitting next to Oakfur, talking to him as the elder flicked his tail back and forth, teasing the two kits. They batted at it with their clumsy kit paws. The elder smiled contentedly at them, listening to Batwing at the same time. He loved the kits, Lakefrost realized. He wondered if Oakfur had any of his own. Were any of his Clanmates children of this old warrior? The thought intrigued him.

The light gray tom got over to them. Batwing saw him first and she smiled.

"Is that for us?" she asked.

He nodded.

"No thank you," Oakfur meowed, his whispery voice so raspy it was almost hard to understand. "The kits can have it."

Lakefrost put the prey down, but he looked at Oakfur in concern. It looked as if the elder needed to eat, but he hadn't been lately. Why not? Was he afraid to take any from the rest of the Clan when he would die so soon? Did he think it was wasted on him? Lakefrost hoped not. Oakfur had served his Clan and deserved being treated fairly and kindly until he died.

"Please, Oakfur," Batwing meowed, sharing the same feeling as Lakefrost. "It would make me feel better and the kits can't eat it all, they're just getting used to meat."

Finally the old tom nodded. Lakefrost gave him the mouse since it would be easier than pulling off hair and feathers. Next he passed the bird to the kits, knowing they'd play with the feathers later.

Batwing nodded her thanks and then started eating. Lakefrost left them to it as the kits pretended to stalk the bird. He went back over to Knotfur. He was willing to talk since he didn't have much else to do. It was a greenleaf day after all. There was no need to hunt much. There were patrols out for that.

The two started talking, sharing stories about their past hunts. Lakefrost didn't notice how much time had passed until the camp entrance shook. Knotfur immediately flexed her claws, ready to attack if it was a threat. Then a cat poked its head out of the bushes. It was Acornpelt. His dappled body was followed by Stoneheart, Dappleflower, and her apprentice Bluepaw. The sunhigh patrol had returned.

Knotfur relaxed. "Trouble?" she asked.

"None," Acornpelt replied. "RiverClan is staying in their borders because of the twolegs and ThunderClan is as arrogant as ever, certain they don't need to cross anyone's borders and that no one will cross theirs. We didn't see pelt of them."

Knotfur sniffed critically. Like all ShadowClan cats she didn't care much for ThunderClan, however, Lakefrost felt a twinge of guilt go through him that Acornpelt spoke like that. He was half ThunderClan after all. Fallingstar had been a ThunderClan cat until she became a warrior, then she joined her mate Brownfeather in ShadowClan. No one looked down on her though, despite her young age as a leader and being from an enemy Clan. She'd given up ThunderClan and had pronounced it even at a Gathering. She was all ShadowClan. She'd even devised ways to make all the Clans rely on ShadowClan so they wouldn't think about attacking while the Clan was weak. It had worked and now ShadowClan was strong.

Acornpelt wandered off to his mate and kits while the patrol took the rest of the prey. Stoneheart sat by himself as always, even ignoring his kit Bluepaw. Bluepaw didn't seem to mind. She sat with her mentor, asking Dappleflower many questions. The mottled she-cat was patient and replied to what she could.

Lakefrost looked around his camp and realized his life was really peaceful. There was nothing to fear and he liked it all. The Clan was complete and life would go on. Nothing, he believed, could break this peace. The Clans hadn't fought for a long time since Eveningbreeze and Deepforest tricked them into fighting on WindClan's land over stolen prey. Many cats had died then and no one wanted to repeat it.

"Do you want to go hunting with me later?" Knotfur asked, breaking into Lakefrost's thoughts.

He nodded his head. He'd like that.

Just then more cats came back to camp. Fallingstar was the first through the tunnel, her mate Brownfeather behind, his apprentice Ashpaw following. They'd been battle training. As soon as they entered the camp, Lakefrost turned his attention back to Knotfur.

As sunhigh reached its, peak the rest of the Clan came back. Olivespot's hunting patrol came back with Badgerface, Redsky, and Ivytail. They all had prey. Everyone got a piece. Soon Tigerheart, the deputy, and his patrol came back too. He had Snowbird, Scorchtree, Honeybee, and Orangestripe with him. Honeybee seemed to be hanging off of Orangestripe's every word. They weren't carrying any prey.

"She must have distracted him again," Knotfur sighed, shaking her head. She'd stopped eating her vole to stare at them.

"Probably," Lakefrost agreed.

His sister was known to do that with toms, whether they had mates or not. Sometimes he got frustrated with her. It was like nothing really mattered to her other than toms. He wondered why Fallingstar had let her become a warrior just last moon with the rest of his siblings. Honeybee should have been held back. She didn't know how to fight properly or hunt some creatures. All she was interested in was toms.

"I wish she'd get it over with and choose her mate," Knotfur continued, staring at Lakefrost. "Orangestripe so wants her and loves it when she pays attention to him, but then she goes off and speaks with Stoneheart, Redsky, or even Scorchtree. He tries his best to make her talk to him and then that makes him not help the Clan as much."

"I know what you mean," Lakefrost meowed. "If only she could be like Mallowstalk."

Mallowstalk was Lakefrost's other sister. She was one of the best hunters for her age. She could hardly be brought back to camp at times. She always wanted to be out and hunting or at least exploring. She'd always been the adventurous kit. Sometimes Lakefrost was afraid she'd leave the territory just to explore another Clans' or that she would leave ShadowClan and become a loner.

The last cats came back to camp shortly after the hunting patrol. Mallowstalk trailed behind Dawncloud and Wrenpaw with a drooping tail. She kept glancing back into the forest. He knew she'd go back out the first instant she could. It was as if the forest was her Clan and not ShadowClan. It was hard to explain to himself, Lakefrost thought. He doubted even she'd be able to.

When everyone was gathered and eating, Fallingstar got up and jumped to the top of the Large Stump. The Clan sat up and waited for her to speak.

"I know many of you want to go to the Gathering this night," Fallingstar meowed, her brown tabby fur with gray marks shining bright in the sun. Her green eyes, heritage of Dewstep, her ThunderClan father, and Firestar, her great-grandfather, gleamed at them. "But I can only take a few of you. I am proud to say, you all have done something worthy to get you to the Gathering and I'm glad to say that I've such a large Clan, but only a few of you may go. I will be taking Tigerheart, Snowbird, Ivytail, Dappleflower, Knotfur, Lakefrost, and Bluepaw with me."

The rest of the cats looked down, disappointed. Lakefrost did have to say Fallingstar was fair with who she took. Everyone got the chance to go at least once per season. She didn't like leaving anyone behind. He felt a shiver of pride go through him. His first Gathering as a warrior. Knotfur looked happy too. This wasn't her first, but going to a Gathering was exciting.

"We will leave at dusk," Fallingstar continued and jumped down.

* * *

**Now you've met the main Clan. Hope you liked it and wait for the rest. Will add some chapters on occasion.**


	4. Chapter 2: Fawnfur

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter  
Disclaimer 2: Listen to the Wind by Hayley Westenra_

_Thanks to my first two reviewers:_ Oo-Rainpath-oO _and _xXThunderspiritXx

_They get Fawnfur and Lakefrost plushies!_

_I decided I might as well get the first set over with since I had it. Here are two more chapters for you, each done by a different cat._

Tomorrow: a sun soon rising  
And yesterday is there beside us  
And it's never far away  
-Listen to the Wind _by _Hayley Westenra

* * *

**Chapter 2**

I picked through the old herbs, using a delicate claw to separate the dry, torn herbs from the ones we could still use. My nose was able to do this as my mind wandered elsewhere. I was thinking about Sunstorm's death again. It hadn't been too long ago that my sister had died. Just last newleaf. Her death was still hard on me as it was on my other sister Morningsong. I'd rarely seen her since the accident. She was always off on her own. The Clan let her grieve like they let our mother Cinderheart grieve, but Cinderheart was quicker to get over the death my sister and I. Cinderheart knew life went on and she knew Sunstorm was safe in StarClan's ranks.

I wasn't so sure. I'd only been the medicine cat apprentice for a short time but from what I'd seen of StarClan, I hadn't once seen my sister. I didn't know if she was hiding from me or if StarClan wouldn't let her see me. I hadn't once spoken to her after her death. And how I missed her!

"You've stopped again," came Jayfeather's soothing voice from the other end of the den.

I snapped awake, realizing my paw was hanging over the herbs and had been for a long time. Jayfeather turned away from Lilyblossom who he was treating for thorns in her paws. Greeneyes had tricked her again into chasing a squirrel through a bramble bush. Sometimes Lilyblossom, a white creamy she-cat, was as dense as her mother Daisy. Of course not all of Daisy's kits were scatterbrained.

Jayfeather couldn't see. His sightless eyes looked right through me. I knew of his gift for reading others' thoughts. It was obvious he was aware of the direction my thoughts traveled.

"I'm sorry," I meowed, bowing my head. I was ashamed to be caught not working and again, thinking what I usually did when I wasn't paying attention. It was embarrassing really. What did my mentor think of my inattention?

In the stillness, the water from the pool gurgled at us. Lilyblossom didn't interrupt our conversation. She sat staring morosely at her wounded leg. She probably thought it was medicine cat business. Or she respected my sorrow. In any case she said not a word.

"She's gone," Jayfeather meowed, walking over to me. "There isn't anything you can do. When she wants to see you again, she will. Perhaps she thinks it would hurt worse for you to see her."

I wanted to believe him. That Sunstorm was protecting me from more pain, but I really wanted to see her again, to know what she thought of everything. She'd predicted I'd become the medicine cat's apprentice and she was right, like she always was, except for that one time. The time she died. She would have been deputy after Bramblestar became leader. She was supposed to but after her death things had changed.

"Was this how it was with you and Hollyleaf?" I asked suddenly, looking up at my mentor.

For the longest time Jayfeather had believed his sister was dead after the tunnel collapsed on her. Later it was found she'd gone to another forest and had two kits. Those kits had come back to the Clans as warriors. Hollyleaf had returned shortly after with her mate Raven, but then they'd left again, forming a new Clan called Summerheat. We hadn't heard anything from them since except when Darkfire returned two leaf-falls ago. He'd left the newleaf later when my sisters and I became apprentices. We hadn't had any contact with the other Clan for a long time now.

"It was," Jayfeather sighed. "I'm sure of it. I wanted to see her so badly. I wondered if she'd gone to the Dark Forest for murdering Ashfur. I was pleased to see her again and alive, but I was constantly worrying and wondering."

I knew I could have seen it for myself. That was my gift to look into the past and to experience it, but I didn't want to. Not with some things. I felt strange intruding on other cats and their secrets. I only Looked back for medicine cat needs. Things the ancient cats knew but we'd forgotten. Sunstorm had said that would be my strongest asset as a medicine cat. Sadness filled me again at her name.

"You will get better, Fawnfur," Jayfeather murmured, pressing his face against my head in comfort. That was surprising as usually he was a prickly tom with a sharp tongue. I was surprised he was still letting me indulge in self pity.

"As the seasons pass it won't be such a sharp pain as it is now," he promised.

I could believe him, though it was hard, as I'd Seen many such times in the past. I'd gone looking for ways to overcome this sadness after her death, but nothing seemed to fit my situation. All I did know was that healing took time. I'd have to believe Jayfeather.

"Right," I meowed. "I'll get back to work."

He nodded and pulled away. Before going back to Lilyblossom, he reached around me and with his nose found what he was looking for. He took the marigold away to treat Lilyblossom. I didn't watch them. I still had my duty after all.

As I said before, things changed after Sunstorm left us to join StarClan. First was that Cinderheart, Morningsong, and I went into a time of mourning. Sunstorm had been the most energetic and certain of us and without her we fell apart. Morningsong became quiet and withdrawn, anger smoldering in her eyes; Cinderheart devastated but quickly healing; and I remained lost. I didn't have any direction without my sister leading me.

The second change came as a shock to me when Toadstep resigned as the medicine cat apprentice. I know that Sunstorm had said he would (she'd Seen it) but after her death I didn't know if I could trust anything she'd said at all. But after Toadstep became a warrior, Jayfeather needed an apprentice. If he'd been able to see, he probably wouldn't have even needed Toadstep for so long, but because of his blindness, he always needed an apprentice to make sure he was doing what he was supposed to and didn't make a mistake. It was then the chance I'd waited for.

I'd wanted to be the medicine cat for so long but there had been two already. So I'd trained to be a warrior under Dewstep. He was a good mentor to me, but when the opportunity opened up, I pounced for it. I asked Jayfeather for the position. He simply nodded, already knowing that I'd been vying for the position and that I had the abilities.

Only one cat didn't want me to become the medicine cat apprentice. Owlface. The silver tom with the large face would have been Sunstorm's mate but because of her death, he was devastated and turned to me instead. Morningsong had frightened him off. So he'd been courting me for a while. When I became Jayfeather's apprentice, he protested. Firestar and I ignored him. I had my calling after all. Having a mate was not part of it.

The next major change came in greenleaf. Firestar died. He'd been getting very old and could hardly walk. Sandstorm had died the leaf-bare before and Firestar had declined since. There was nothing Jayfeather or I could do but ease his passing. Jayfeather and I knew he was dead when the scent of Spottedleaf washed over us and then left just as quickly. Jayfeather seemed surprised when she didn't say anything to us. After the leader's death, we left the den to inform the Clan.

Brambleclaw went up to the Moonpool quickly after the death, not even getting to sit vigil. When the powerful tom came back as Bramblestar, the Clan called out his name. He was an old warrior and so chose a young deputy, Cinderheart, my mother. I felt proud of her, but at the same time I was sad because that was meant to be Sunstorm.

And so the moons passed, but still here I was, missing my sister.

_**-Line-**_

The stars glittered overhead through the dark leaves of the trees and over the quarry. Vines trailed over the walls, looping over the cracks in the stone, a few flowers hanging off. No other cats were out and I was alone as I sat outside of the medicine cat den. Dark shadows and bright moonlight streamed down on me as I sat there, contemplating. Jayfeather went to the Gathering without me because he felt I had to stay in camp. I was looking up into Silverpelt, wondering which one was my sister when suddenly I smelled a familiar scent next to me.

I turned quickly and met the face of Firestar. He sat up against the quarry wall, relaxed and smiling. The flame-colored leader looked healthy again, probably like he had before I was born. He was strong and had a friendly glint in his green eyes. They were no longer circled by tired sagging skin and he was no longer frail as I'd last seen him. He was the strong leader StarClan had called in the old forest. I looked at him in awe. Never before in my short time as medicine cat had StarClan come to me. I'd only seen them at the Moonpool and we didn't talk for long.

"Fawnfur," Firestar meowed, his voice steady, not like I last remembered.

"Firestar," I bowed my head. "Why have you come?"

Firestar looked away, his eyes suddenly sad. For a long time he said nothing, just looked around his former camp. The squeaks of bats that flitted high overhead was the only sound. The rest of the ThunderClan camp was calm. No one was around. Eventually he looked back at me.

"StarClan has one last message for you, Fawnfur," he meowed.

My ginger-brown ears went back. 'One last'? That sounded ominous. Was I going to die too?

"There are cats who want to destroy ThunderClan," the tom meowed, his eyes boring into mine. "They are both living and dead. If they are not stopped, ThunderClan will be no more and eventually the other Clans will fall. You are needed to stop the fraction of the living. StarClan is doing its own against the cats of the Dark Forest, but you have to stop the cats from this side from following the dead."

I stared at him. Me? I was supposed to do something? I was just the medicine cat! I'd become that to help everyone heal, not defend them or fight!

"Who is it?" I urgently asked. "Who is trying to destroy us?"

Firestar looked pained as he answered, "I cannot tell you. You are meant to figure it out on your own. But you will have help. Four warriors will help you. StarClan will contact them and once they find you, you must work together to stop ThunderClan from being destroyed."

"Who's going to help me?" I asked. "How am I supposed to stop ThunderClan being destroyed if you won't tell me who?"

Then I noticed he was fading away. His starlit fur was beginning to get see-through. I stared desperately at him, hoping he'd answer me.

Firestar looked worried and then suddenly spoke, "It is a cat close to you. Only you can stop it. The warriors are not from your Clan -"

He was cut off, his mouth open as if to continue. His form disappeared completely and I was left alone in the dark. I stared at the ground where he'd been. There was no indentation where his paws had been. Even his smell was quickly fading. He'd been about to tell me something important but he couldn't. I'd always thought StarClan could choose how long they'd stay but in that moment, I had a feeling he'd been forced to leave. Someone hadn't wanted him to continue. These mysterious cats from the Dark Forest? StarClan?

I was worried. Why was I the only one to know of the destruction? Why hadn't Jayfeather been warned? Why was it going to be warriors from another Clan? So many questions swam in my head like leaves on a windy leaf-fall day. I just wanted answers.

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**Okay over with the pity party and on with the story. The first three chapters were mostly reviews of lost time as well as an introductory. Hopefully that's all over with when the next chapter is done.**


	5. Chapter 3: Sunstorm

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter  
Disclaimer 2: Listen to the Wind by Hayley Westenra_

If you listen to the wind you can hear me again  
Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song  
High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves  
-Listen to the Wind _by _Hayley Westenra

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**Chapter 3**

"Take me with you," Sunstorm meowed.

The stars in her ginger-brown tabby fur twinkled with her impatience. In the dark night they were easy to see so it wasn't hard to understand when Feathertail just stared at her. The gray she-cat was hesitant.

"I can't," she finally meowed. "Only I can cross between the skies. No one else can join me in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. They never died there."

Sunstorm stared at Feathertail, an unbelieving look on her ginger-brown face. She stood stiffly, her tail straight out behind her. Just because Feathertail died there didn't mean she was the only one who could visit the Tribe!

"Then how do you explain Silverstream?" she asked. "You take her there all the time!"

Feathertail's ears went back and a worried look crossed her face.

"Well, I-"

"You can't explain that one can you?" crowed Sunstorm, a triumphant look on her face. "It is possible! You have to take me!"

Feathertail shook her head again.

Sunstorm felt anger rising in her. Why did Feathertail want to keep her here? There was nothing to do anymore. After only seven moons of being in StarClan, Sunstorm had grown bored. There were still secrets for her to learn but she wasn't interested. Hazeltail was supposed to teach her, and teach her she did, but it wasn't fast enough for Sunstorm. Now, discovering something else to distract her, she wanted to take it.

After dying, Sunstorm had been warned she could never leave the skies above the lake. That she would get lost if she tried. She'd been told there were certain cats that could go to different skies. The one above Summerheat Camp, for example, and the skies of the Tribe of Rushing Water and their ancestors. Feathertail was the only cat who had the ability to do so, or so it was said, but Sunstorm had seen the gray she-cat take her mother there on many occasions. Now Sunstorm wanted to go and see these other dead cats. What was their prey like? she wondered.

"The leaders wouldn't like it," Feathertail meowed. Her sweet face soft with the warning.

"Who cares what the leaders think," Sunstorm protested. "They're dead, we're dead. What are they going to do to us?"

Feathertail still didn't think leaving was a good idea, Sunstorm could tell, but she wanted something to do. For the longest time she'd avoided seeing her sisters because it hurt her to watch them living. She was supposed to be there with them but instead she'd died before her time. She didn't want to watch them because she felt she should have been there too.

These feelings of frustration and guilt drove her to seclude herself with her friends in StarClan. Then the first leaders had declared no cat was to visit the Clans unless it was at the Moonpool and the cat wanted to see them. Sunstorm felt angry and disappointed all at the same time. That meant she couldn't see her sisters and she suddenly wanted to. The only other thing to do was to not see them and not be tempted to do so. She'd have to stay in StarClan or at least off of the earth.

"You'll be getting an apprentice soon," Feathertail meowed, bringing Sunstorm's attention back. "If you leave now, who will teach Oakfur how to live in StarClan?"

Sunstorm rolled her eyes at the thought. "Some other cat. There are plenty of cats to do it after he dies. Some ShadowClan cat."

Besides, she didn't know that much either. What could she teach a cat if she didn't know everything about StarClan? She'd have to ask Hazeltail for everything. Oakfur didn't need that kind of mentor.

"You know the Clan bonds hold no place here. We are one and the same," Feathertail meowed firmly.

Sunstorm rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, tell that to Bluestar and Oakheart. They haven't gotten together since she died. I'd say that was the code talking and as you seem to say, the code doesn't apply here, so whatever these former leaders say isn't law anymore. So take me!"

Feathertail looked like she was starting to sway. Sunstorm kept her face blank as she waited. She didn't want to scare off the former RiverClan cat. She'd have to let Feathertail think it over.

As they waited, Sunstorm looked around the marsh. She couldn't see much in the dark. Even the full moon couldn't light much up. Not even the stars in Sunstorm's own pelt could do a thing. There were shadows everywhere that were sometimes dispersed when the breeze moved the reeds in another direction. Sunstorm disliked the marsh of RiverClan. She knew she'd never be comfortable here. She was surprised the RiverClan cats were even. It must have reminded them of their living territory.

Eventually Feathertail's good heart won out. She wasn't able to force any cat to do what it didn't want to. She wanted other cats to be happy. Sunstorm knew this and was pleased when Feathertail finally meowed her consent.

"All right, I'll take you. I'm not sure it's possible. I've only done it with Silverstream. Graystripe hasn't come though he wants to see Stormfur. He thinks he'll get lost. I'll try it and we'll pray it works."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you so much Feathertail!" Sunstorm purred, her tail high as she stood on the tops of her toes. She wanted to leap in the air, but that wouldn't have been worthy of a warrior to do, so she simply stood there purring.

Feathertail smiled, her blue eyes glowing. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. Meet me here."

Sunstorm nodded her head and then quickly left before Feathertail could change her mind. She didn't think she'd get lost out of StarClan territory. Feathertail knew what she was doing and if she didn't get lost, Sunstorm wouldn't either. If she went anywhere else other than the mountains, then maybe it would be possible to lose their direction, but Sunstorm doubted if she left the lake area she would get lost. It was just something the leaders said so they could keep the cats together. If they all wandered off where would StarClan be? Sunstorm knew it was important to stay together, but she just wanted to go and do other things. See other things.

Sunstorm left the lakeside, jumping over the small streams and pushing her way through the reeds. Officially this was the side RiverClan lived on and dead RiverClan cats lived there because it made them comfortable, but Sunstorm didn't sneak across the territory. There was nothing to worry about. No cat would attack her. There were no scent markers in StarClan and so no trespassing. Cats were allowed to go anywhere.

Usually cats not of RiverClan didn't go into the reeds because they didn't like it, just like the former WindClan cats didn't go into the forests. ShadowClan and ThunderClan usually stayed there. There were places where the cats all gathered when they were called by the leaders. There was the Moonpool where great prophesies were shared, the lake (which cats could use to look down on their former Clans), and the field (the place where the Horseplace would be) that was covered in rocks and a place mentors took their apprentices.

There were apprentices in StarClan. Apprentices that had died when they were apprentices and the cats that had newly died and needed to be taught. Each recently dead cat got a mentor to show them around and to explain things to them. Hazeltail was Sunstorm's mentor. She'd learned many things from the gray and white she-cat, but Sunstorm didn't think it was enough. There were some things she hadn't learned yet and wanted to, but Hazeltail saved those for other times. Sunstorm certainly hadn't realized there was another Clan, called SkyClan, until one of their leaders came forth from the forest and met with Thunder.

She hadn't realized anything was strange- because she didn't know many cats in StarClan- until Hazeltail gasped. Sunstorm asked her what the matter was, and Hazeltail had explained all about the fifth Clan, how SkyClan had left the original forest when the twolegs destroyed their territory. Hazeltail went on to explain how Firestar had rebuilt their Clan long ago. Sunstorm, intrigued, watched the newcomer until he had to leave.

There were so many things still to learn, but Sunstorm was getting bored. It was time to do more. To explore. She'd be dead for a long time and who knew what was out in the world of dead cats? She wanted to explore now before she became used to her life in StarClan and too lazy and too weighted down with duties to do so.

Now she was going tomorrow. Sunstorm grinned with pleasure and started hunting. There was prey in the skies. They were challenging to hunt but whenever she was hungry she could usually find something. StarClan cats never went hungry, not even in leafbare. The leaves never fell in StarClan and it always remained warm, but that didn't stop them from feeling the pain the living cats by the lake felt when they were in leafbare. Sunstorm had yet to experience it since she hadn't been dead that long.

The brown-ginger she-cat walked along in the darkness, a full moon above her. It was the Gathering down by the lake. The StarClan cats were there along the lakeshore watching the living Clans as they sat on their small island, talking. Sunstorm didn't go because the Gatherings didn't interest her. She could watch the Clans at any time; she didn't need a Gathering to see what was going on, but most StarClan cats were there this night. Sunstorm had happened to catch Feathertail before she joined her parents at the Gathering. Graystripe and Silverstream had come together after the gray tom's death, now they stayed near each other. Millie didn't seem to mind. Graystripe spent time with her as well, but she enjoyed the forests more than the streams. Graystripe could live anywhere and though his heart was shared with two she-cats, he managed to work it out somehow.

Sunstorm quickly ate her mouse and walked to the ThunderClan-like forests. The tall grass swayed around her in a pleasant breeze. She decided to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be interesting. As she walked along, she saw the cats along the lakeshore, sitting lined up and peering into the clear water to the Clans below. She wondered what thing had just happened to excite everyone. After watching them for a while, she started walking again.

To the right of the light brown-ginger she-cat was the moorland where the former WindClan cats lived and beyond that was a dark scar that the WindClan down below didn't see. The ground of StarClan had been ripped open over there. It only took half a day journey to reach (which Sunstorm had traveled once) and when a cat did, they could look down to rushing water far below. On the other side of this divide was another StarClan. The former cats of Summerheat lived there. Only three cats made up the small StarClan, but it would grow.

Sunstorm wanted to go over there to see these cats and their forest, but it would be harder to cross the divide than going with Feathertail to the mountains. Only some cats at certain times could walk over the divide on a near see-through bridge of starlight. Sunstorm had watched them once, her heart in her throat the whole time until they reached the other side. She could barely see them then, but they'd seemed safe and unworried, rushing off to join Coonie, Macky, and Brackenkit.

Now Sunstorm entered the dark of the forest, the trees towering overhead, glowing with soft light, as if stars were part of them. She quickly found her den. It wasn't in the quarry. Only a few cats stayed there. The rest spread out over the ThunderClan-like forest. Some ShadowClan cats had joined them and on occasion a ThunderClan cat would sleep on the ShadowClan side. No one stopped them because there was no reason to. There still might be tension between Clans, but at this point, no one competed for food so there was no reason to fight over territory. Arguments did arise, usually over silly things, but no one was majorly hurt and if they were, a medicine cat was there to patch it up.

Sunstorm laid down in her nest of feathers and moss she shared with six others and fell asleep. Sometime in the night Hazeltail came back with three others. Hazeltail laid down next to her apprentice, waking Sunstorm up.

The ginger-brown she-cat looked up, startled from her dream of walking along a narrow path with water rushing on every side of her.

"Sorry," Hazeltail whispered.

" 'S'all right," Sunstorm mumbled. That nightmare hadn't been very fun anyway.

"You don't know do you?" Hazeltail meowed after a short pause.

"What?" Sunstorm muttered, trying to sleep.

"Fawnfur was made medicine cat apprentice moons ago."

Sunstorm woke up all the way at that. She stared at Hazeltail.

"When?"

"Four moons?" Hazeltail shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Sunstorm demanded, fully awake now.

"I hadn't realized. Not until Bramblestar said Toadheart's mate was going to have kits. I asked Graystripe and Bluestar and they told me what happened. They've been watching ThunderClan closer than I have."

She sounded ashamed but she'd rarely had time to watch ThunderClan with Sunstorm making her teach her everything. Sunstorm felt suddenly happy for her sister. At least something had gone right. Fawnfur had wanted to be a medicine cat for so long, now she got to be.

"Good for her," Sunstorm purred.

"Maybe you should see her some time," Hazeltail suggested.

Sunstorm snorted. "After the leaders ordered us not to visit? Hardly. I don't know their reasons for ordering us not to, but I'm not going down there to visit Fawnfur if I'm not supposed to. Besides, I'll be going on a journey tomorrow. I won't be able to see her."

"Journey?" Hazeltail frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm visiting the Tribe of Endless Hunting tomorrow," Sunstorm meowed, lowering her head to her paws.

"You can't!" Hazeltail protested in shock.

"I can and will," Sunstorm meowed her eyes closed. The bushes around them rustled as if sensing the tension. "I've wasted enough time around here. Now I'm visiting some other cats. I'll be back in a few moons. You can teach me more then."

Sunstorm ignored whatever else Hazeltail had to say. She really needed to get some sleep. Feathertail couldn't be kept waiting on her journey.

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**Hopefully that wasn't too confusing.**

**Okay, see you later!**


	6. Chapter 4: Lakefrost

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_I'm back. So here's another chapter. Hope you like how the plot's coming along._

_Thank you to my awesome reviewers: _xXThunderspiritXx, Oo-Rainpath-oO, Wolfgaze, VioletteRose, and Graysky.

**Chapter 4**

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". . . and then Onestar said that Rainstar was a liar and wanted to fight it out right there," Lakefrost meowed, smirking.

Mallowstalk and Honeybee laughed like they were supposed to, amused by the whole thing. Only Badgerface was silent, still looking off into the distance. Lakefrost wasn't sure he'd heard a thing. He was probably thinking about fighting and training too much to be paying attention.

Lakefrost ignored his brother and went back to telling his sisters about last night's Gathering. He'd been there with Knotfur. The both of them had sought out their friends in RiverClan: Tigereye, Gorseclaw and Dustyhead. With them were two ThunderClan apprentices. The group of them sat together telling stories until the leaders called the Gathering. Fallingstar had been the smallest and the youngest leader on the Great Oak. Next to her, Bramblestar and Onestar seemed old. Rainstar was also old. Onestar was now the eldest leader around the lake. Lakefrost couldn't help but guiltily wonder when the toms would die.

At first the three toms (when Firestar was still leader) had been unable to accept young Fallingstar as a leader when she became one, but after a time they had to. She had reliable Tigerheart backing her up and her whole Clan on her side. They daren't argue. By this time everyone accepted her even her sister and brother still in ThunderClan. Lakefrost had seen the two of them side by side looking up at their sister with pride in their eyes.

"So what happened?" Mallowstalk asked. "Did StarClan send the clouds?"

Lakefrost nodded. "WindClan looked like they'd attack until the clouds came. Bramblestar told them to stop fighting because the argument was so mouse-brained. He said wait until leafbare to bring out the claws. Of course at that point the Gathering was over. We had to come home."

"What do you think Badgerface?" Honeybee asked looking at her other brother. "Was Onestar right?"

Badgerface looked over at them, confusion on his black face.

"Did you say something?" he asked. He scanned their faces.

"Yeah," Honeybee nodded. "Was Onestar or Rainstar right? Which Clan should be given credit for making the dog stop bothering them?"

"Onestar?" Badgerface hesitantly meowed. He looked uncertain, his green eyes nervous.

Mallowstalk shook her head and looked away. "So oblivious. You know that old tom lies all the time, right?"

Badgerface turned to her and after a while nodded.

"Anyway," Lakefrost turned away from Badgerface and to his sisters. "As we were going back to camp, Bluepaw decided she'd like to know how to swim and jumped in the lake. Dappleflower and Redsky had to drag her out."

"Oh," Honeybee meowed, her eyes suddenly starry, "Redsky is such a great tom!"

"He has a mate, Honeybee," Mallowstalk chided.

"So?" Honeybee asked.

"So Dawncloud will tear you limb from limb if you get near Redsky," Lakefrost pointed out. "Stick with Orangestripe. He loves you."

Honeybee looked at Lakefrost in surprise.

"But he's so easy," she meowed. "There is no challenge."

"You want a challenge?" Mallowstalk asked, surprised. "Make them climb the Great Pine then or see who can catch the most prey. Stop stringing them along."

Honeybee gave Mallowstalk a nasty look.

"What happened to Bluepaw?" Badgerface asked. He looked concerned.

"Flametail said she'd be fine. She hadn't swallowed a lot of water and it is greenleaf after all. He just told her to leave swimming to RiverClan."

"Well I'm off then," Mallowstalk suddenly meowed, standing up and stretching. "I've prey to catch."

"I'm surprised you stayed so long as it was," Honeybee teased. "Your lover, the forest, calls."

Mallowstalk swiped playfully at her sister, missing her ear by fox-tail lengths and then left the camp. The few bushes rattled with her passing. She left her siblings lying in a band of sunlight in the center of camp. Fallingstar had left Badgerface to guard but his siblings had joined him to talk about the Gathering. Lakefrost was still supposed to be asleep because he had a moon high patrol that night. He'd be up all night as planned, guarding the borders. Instead, he'd woken up early and found his siblings outside the warriors den, the rest of the warriors missing.

Mallowstalk had looked like she was ready to leave, but when Honeybee asked about the Gathering, his ginger sister with black paws had stopped to listen. Honeybee had been relaxed and not in any hurry. She didn't have anything to do that day. Fallingstar didn't make Honeybee do anything. It wasn't because Honeybee was special but because Fallingstar knew if Honeybee was assigned to do anything, it wouldn't get done. Lakefrost's tabby sister got to do whatever and any cat she tagged along with was in charge. The only one supposed to stay in camp was Badgerface. He was the guard that day. Batwing and the kits were still sleeping in their nursery.

"What happened in camp?" Lakefrost asked his brother when Mallowstalk left.

Honeybee, uninterested with the conversation rolled over, eyes closed, not paying any attention at all. She was asleep in seconds.

There was no answer from the dark tabby tom.

"Badgerface!" Lakefrost called, waving his tail in his brother's black face. Honeybee twitched in her sleep.

Badgerface blinked and turned to his gray brother.

"What happened in camp while we were gone last night?"

"Um, nothing?" Badgerface meowed, an ear tilted. "I was sleeping."

"And nothing wakes you when you're sleeping," Lakefrost shook his head.

Badgerface's head lowered in shame.

"Hey, I was only teasing," Lakefrost meowed quietly.

Badgerface looked up, his expression blank.

Lakefrost sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter. I guess I'll leave you."

He stood up and stared to leave the camp, deciding he'd find a hunting patrol and join them. He was halfway to the entrance when Badgerface called.

"Bye, Lakefrost!"

Lakefrost waved his tail in reply. Then he was out of the camp. He started walking for the ThunderClan territory. There was usually a hunting patrol over there. He planned on joining them. Lakefrost picked up his pace, weaving in and out of the trees, not being as quiet as he could be. There was nothing to fear. This was his territory. So when the two cats appeared before him, he was startled.

Lakefrost jumped back, the fur along his spine raising in shock. His claws came out in defense and he uttered a low growl. The two cats had come out of nowhere. They stood in front of him, at ease. Lakefrost looked over the intruders, his eyes calculating the threat. One was a white cat with black front feet and the other was a dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes. He stared between them, wondering why he hadn't smelled them before. How had they snuck up on him?

"Who are you?" he demanded with a growl, lowering himself to pounce. There might be more of them, but he would fight them off!

"Stay still, Lakefrost," the white tom growled in reply, "We're not here to fight with you. We have a message."

He reluctantly stood up. "I'll take you to Fallingstar then."

Well, at least they weren't attacking. That was something. If they had meant to hurt him, they would have done it when he wasn't paying attention. Now he'd take them to his mother and she could sort them out.

"Not for her," the other cat meowed quickly. "For you."

"Me?" his ears went up. What did any cat have to do with him? Did they want him to spy?

"I won't do it, whatever it is," he growled in reply.

"You haven't even heard," the she-cat protested. Her voice was oddly raspy.

"I won't be your spy," Lakefrost growled, "Now go back to your territory!"

"ShadowClan hasn't changed a bit," the white tom laughed, pleased. "Even with ThunderClan blood."

Lakefrost stared at him in confusion. These cats weren't attacking- they were making fun of him! It was almost worse. He narrowed his eyes and ran for them. His claws were outstretched ready to tear the moment he reached them. He ran between him, his paw flashing like lightning, but they must have been faster still because he only touched air. No satisfying yowl of pain or fur between his claws came at his challenge. He quickly turned around, ready to run, but as he stared at them, he realized they hadn't moved.

Lakefrost shook his head in confusion. They should have been in different positions at least! He would have hit them if they'd stayed still. Yet there they were unmarked and unafraid. He glared at them wondering what technique they'd used. The gray she-cat glared right back. The white tom had narrowed his eyes.

"Are you finished?" the gray she-cat demanded, her voice hard.

"Leave," he spat at them, his tail thrashing. "I don't know what you're doing here, but it can't be good."

"Listen, young warrior," the white tom meowed, his voice low and dangerous. "We have a message for you. Fighting us won't stop a thing but if you don't do what we tell you, things will go bad for a Clan."

Lakefrost looked at them in surprise. Were they threatening a Clan? He stayed silent and nodded for them to continue. The quicker they said it, the faster it would be over and the more definite he could refuse.

"Fine, tell me," he growled. He didn't sit down, still ready on his toes in case they attacked. His ears constantly moving, looking for another threat if they'd brought friends.

"You must look for the young deer," the gray she-cat mewed her voice suddenly not raspy but clear as a sunbeam. "Only the four and the fawn can stop the evening and the morning from stilling the thunder forever. You have until the next moon."

Suddenly the two cats were gone. Lakefrost stared wide eyed. They'd just been there. Where were they? He looked around, searching, scenting, but there was nothing. And now that he looked, he saw no paw marks in the dirt and the needles. It was as if they'd never been there. His breath caught in his chest as he stared at his tracks running across the ground. He'd attacked StarClan cats!

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**Whoever can guess who the two StarClan cats were can have a Lakefrost or Fallingstar plushie.**


	7. Chapter 5: Fawnfur

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _xXThunderspiritXx, Graysky, silverstarfan, _and_ Chat et Chocolat.

_The cats were Blackstar and Yellowfang. You know if you won. You get your prize. _Silverstarfan_ can have a Fallingstar Plushie._

_Summary: StarClan doesn't want to interfere, they sent Firestar to Fawnfur to warn her. Lakefrost, a ShadowClan cat, receives a warning and a prophesy and he has to find Fawnfur but doesn't know it's her. Sunstorm convinces Feathertail to take her out of StarClan and to the Tribe of Endless Hunting._

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**Chapter 5**

I told Jayfeather about Firestar's visit when he came back that night. He listened and nodded as I told him. When I asked him what I was supposed to do, he had a simple answer for me.

"Wait for the warriors to find you," he meowed. "They probably know what to do."

"But do I tell Bramblestar?" I asked. If ThunderClan was going to be destroyed, shouldn't I tell him? Isn't he supposed to stop it?

Jayfeather looked thoughtful. Finally he shook his head. "If Starclan wants him to know, they'll tell him. If he doesn't come to us asking about a dream or a visit from StarClan, you'll know the warning was just for you."

"But we're medicine cats," I protested. "Aren't we supposed to warn the leader?" What if I was supposed to tell him? What if it was my duty? If I didn't tell him, maybe I'd be the one causing the disaster!

Jayfeather nodded again. "At times we hear nothing when the leader gets a message. Just be patient. When the half moon comes again we'll visit the Moonpool and ask them to clarify things. I'm sure they will."

"But they've been silent more than ever this season," I meowed. I'd seen the patterns. In the past, they'd spoken more often. What made them go silent now?

"There have been times they have not spoken," Jayfeather answered me. "When Spottedleaf was medicine cat they didn't spoken to her for moons at times. And then during the Great Journey, only Leafpool was contacted and only once. They couldn't speak to us then. There are times they feel they have to be quiet."

"So I just have to wait?" I asked. He was making me feel better at least. If StarClan was not speaking, they had a good reason. It was perfectly natural.

"Yes," he nodded. "I'll keep my ears open. I'll find who'd plotting against us if they're in this Clan."

"But what if they're not?" I whispered. "What if they're not, like the warriors are not?"

"Then we will be in for some trouble. Our Clan is strong though," Jayfeather assured me. "We won't be defeated so easily. Just in case, tomorrow I want you looking for herbs."

I nodded my head. If anyone was injured from this, we had to be ready to care for them.

That night we went to sleep, Jayfeather's words kept me up. I was surprised my thoughts weren't keeping him up. He must not have been interested with overhearing them because he was quickly asleep. I could hear his snores.

When morning came and Jayfeather looked frustrated I had a feeling he hadn't been sleeping at all. Maybe he'd been looking for StarClan to question them or maybe he'd been trying to walk in other cats' dreams to see what they were plotting. Whatever he'd done he hadn't succeeded or didn't like the answer.

I left the den before Jayfeather went to check on Lightningwhisker in the nursery. The black queen's two kits kept getting sick for some reason. Jayfeather wanted to know why and went to visit them in his free time, checking on them and giving them herbs he thought would help. I wished him well as I left. Lightingwhisker was known for her critical tongue when she wasn't feeling happy and having sick kits wasn't making her happy.

I walked away from the brambled tunnel of camp and into the forest. Birds called overhead, hiding in the thick leaves of the trees. The undergrowth twitched with other animal life. This greenleaf was full of life as never before. There was prey and predators everywhere. I wasn't scared as I walked along though. I'd had warrior training. I could fight off anything that attacked me. Of course I hadn't practiced in a long while since becoming a medicine cat apprentice, but I was sure I could remember moves if I had to.

I wandered up to the abandoned twoleg nest. I knew there were many herbs up there, foxglove, catmint, and nearby was some poppy and rosehip. It was a good place to find many herbs and I was glad ThunderClan had it on their territory. It would save me time. As I walked up there, I became close to the ShadowClan border. The scentmarkers were fresh. I didn't cross over but as I went, I felt eyes on me. I suppressed a shiver, knowing I couldn't show weakness to another Clan, but it frightened me, not knowing how many cats were watching me. Not knowing if they'd attack at any moment. The Clans were at peace and had been for a few moons, but I knew well anything could set them off. Last night's Gathering almost had.

I hurried up to the nest, losing myself in gathering herbs, not worrying about ShadowClan. It took a while, but I gathered a good bundle. I wrapped a lot of herbs in large fern leaves. I soon realized I couldn't carry a lot that way. I'd have to leave some and then get an apprentice to help me carry it back.

I left the twoleg nest behind, a bundle of herbs in my mouth and under my jaws, resting on my neck. It was so hard walking like this. I wished the twoleg nest wasn't so far away from camp. I had to do it though. My Clan was counting on me to help them even if they didn't know it.

I wasn't far from the nest or the ShadowClan border when I heard the pawsteps behind me. My fur lifted, still uneasy about what happened just that morning, knowing I'd been watched. It seemed as if the watchers had come to bother me. I carefully turned around and glared at the cats as they came into view. Three cats pushed through the thick undergrowth behind the ferns and the saplings. As I looked at them, I knew they weren't ThunderClan cats. Their scent washed over me as they came closer. ShadowClan.

One was a dark brown tabby, the other a small gray apprentice with black paws, and the last a light gray tabby tom with blue eyes. He almost looked like Jayfeather. I didn't dwell on that. They'd trespassed and I couldn't allow them to be in ThunderClan.

I growled at them and they halted in their tracks to stare expectantly at me. That was when I noticed what each carried in their mouth. They each had a bundle of my herbs. The dark brown tabby tom set down his bundle and smiled at me.

"We'd like to help you carry this to your camp. We noticed you were having trouble."

I glared at him. Me having trouble? I hated to admit it. I quickly placed down my bundles and looked at them.

"No thank you," I meowed, my eyes going over the three of them. "I was going to get an apprentice from my camp to help me."

"We're here now and it's no trouble," the tom continued. "We've got everything."

The apprentice nodded his head eagerly. I looked into his bright yellow eyes and saw no guile at all. I could hardly say no to that face. I reluctantly nodded my head, eyeing them uncertainly. I did need the help. If I brought back the herbs now I could get more quickly.

"Only to the outside of camp," I meowed. "And if anyone asks, you invited yourselves."

"Of course," the dark brown tom smiled, amused. "I'm Brownfeather by the way. This is my apprentice Ashpaw and this is Lakefrost."

I nodded to them and before I picked up my bundles I meowed, "I'm Fawnfur."

"That's beautiful," Ashpaw meowed.

I looked down at him, giving him an odd look. He was a strange ShadowClan tom, giving out complements. All the cats in the past were careful of what they said and usually had double meanings behind their words. I picked up my bundles, shoving one under my chin before biting the other. As I straightened out, I saw a confused look on Lakefrost's face as if something was supposed to make sense but wasn't. I shrugged, figuring that if ShadowClan was confused it was a good thing. I turned around and led the way to camp.

For the first few fox lengths I didn't realize what I'd done and then understanding filled me. I had invited the enemy into my territory. They could just want to get inside my camp for a surprise attack, or to spy on something. Or maybe to examine our defenses.

But what was I supposed to do, I argued with myself, fight three warriors off? Run? This way was better, I tried to tell myself. But I felt ashamed as I brought them. I shouldn't have done it. ThunderClan would be mad at me. Bramblestar would be mad at me. I was leading them straight to camp and to the rest of the Clan where they could do damage. So what if they'd revealed themselves to me and offered help, it could have just been a ploy. I didn't doubt these three were being honest with me, but what if it had been others and during a war?

My tail and ears were dropping when the quarry came into view. The large bramble and gorse bush entrance loomed over us. I dropped my bundles hurriedly, not noticing as one came undone and scattered catmint everywhere.

"Here," I meowed. "Leave the bundles and go."

Brownfeather must have sensed my fear. He did as he was asked and motioned for the others to do so as well. They left their bundles and after meowing a goodbye at me, left me alone. They quickly disappeared into the forest undergrowth as if they'd been ThunderClan cats all their lives. My heart pounded as they left. I prayed to StarClan that they got out safely and that one of my Clanmates wouldn't see them.

The gorse tunnel rustled and I quickly turned around to see Frostshine pushing through. The silvery-white she-cat looked at me in surprise, startled to see me so close.

"You're back," she meowed. "Jayfeather wanted me to go out and get you. He thought you'd need help." She looked down at the bundles. "I guess not," she shrugged.

I felt guilty as I meowed, "I was quick, but you can help me carry these up to the medicine cat den."

She nodded and limped over to me. I looked down at the paw she favored. There was a long furless scar running down its length. She'd had it split open during the last major battle our Clans had fought. She hadn't been able to do warrior duties for a very long time for it to heal. She'd always have the limp, but she was still a good warrior and loyal to our Clan.

I noticed the scattered herbs that spilled when I dropped my bundles. Their sharp, delicious smell was blocking the smell of anything else and made my mouth water. I knew that Frostshine would never smell the ShadowClan cats through its overpowering scent. I, and they, were safe. I sighed and quickly gathered the herbs, rolling them into the bundle, trying not to crush them more than they were.

Soon Frostshine and I disappeared into the camp. Later, I used her to gather more herbs. I was determined to never to rely on ShadowClan help again!


	8. Chapter 6: Sunstorm

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

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**Chapter 6**

Sunstorm was up early. She looked around at the seven sleeping cats with her. They'd all been to the Gathering last night and would probably stay asleep for a while longer. She knew she had time to get away.

After easing herself away from Hazeltail, who slept on, mouth hanging open, Sunstorm quickly left the sheltered den. The large leaves dripped dew onto her back and she shook it off before hurrying to the place she'd last seen Feathertail. The silver she-cat had to be there. She wouldn't break her promise to Sunstorm. That just wasn't Feathertail.

On the way to the marsh, Sunstorm hunted, catching a rabbit on the moorland. No one was there to challenge her or chase her away from her catch, and if there was, Sunstorm would have fought them. There was another cat though. He saw her and bounded over, his light ginger fur flashed in the dawn sunlight. He moved with ease as if used to the moor, the grass waving around him.

"Want to share?" he asked. His eyes were bright and Sunstorm heard his stomach grumble.

"Can't catch your own?" she asked, just a bit annoyed. "You can," she continued just as quickly. There was enough for two.

The frown on his face disappeared to another smile. He lay down beside her and they finished off the rabbit.

"What's your name?" he asked her when they'd finished.

"Sunstorm. Yours?"

"Redfur," he replied. "I've been up here a long time. What about you?"

"I died last newleaf," Sunstorm meowed, surprised at how easy those words came out. Before, she would have been touchy. She didn't like that she'd died at all. She'd had so much to live for.

"Sorry," Redfur meowed a bit awkwardly.

"It's all right," she sighed. "I've gotten used to it mostly."

"What Clan were you from?" he asked.

"ThunderClan, and let me guess, you're WindClan?"

He nodded his head and had some surprise in his eyes. "A ThunderClan cat caught a rabbit?"

"Better than a RiverClan cat," Sunstorm meowed.

He purred with laughter.

"I've got to get going," Sunstorm meowed suddenly, standing up as she realized how late in the morning it was getting. The sun was glowing bright and hot almost halfway up the sky. Cats started to appear from their dens, hunting and walking easily together. Their happy voices echoed to Sunstorm across the sunny air and fresh breeze.

"Will I see you again?" Redfur asked, standing up with her.

"You might," she shrugged.

"Tomorrow?" His eyes hopefully gleamed at her.

Sunstorm shook her head. "No, I'm going to be gone for a few moons."

"Moons?" he blurted in surprise.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm going on a journey. Feathertail is taking me to the Tribe of Endless Hunting."

Redfur stared at Sunstorm in more shock.

"You'll get lost," he protested, shaking his head.

"Have you ever tried going?" Sunstorm challenged.

He nodded. "In the old forest. I did it many times. But I always lost direction. It took me a long time to get back to StarClan. I've given it up since the Great Journey. That was enough travel for me."

"Well not for me," Sunstorm meowed. "Now I don't want to be late. Bye, Redfur."

"StarClan light your path," he meowed, his eyes sad as he watched her leave.

Sunstorm looked once back. He was still standing near the rabbit bones, his eyes on her. His ginger fur gleaming in the sunlight, golden highlights parting his fur and the faint stars glimmering between. Sunstorm turned away and raced along the lake shore. She really had to be going. She feared that if she didn't, she would never leave. There was just something about Redfur that made her want to stay by his side. She couldn't do that. Not when she planned to see the mountains first. It was time to do things she hadn't done in life.

_**-Line-**_

"You did tell someone you were going didn't you?" Feathertail asked. They neared the very edge of StarClan's territory. The forest around them was active around them, birds flying and singing while squirrels leaped branch to shaking branch. The ferns bobbed at the two she-cats' passing. The moss beneath their feet was soft and giving. Sunstorm even thought she could smell some marigold flowers. It was a perfect day for a journey. She wondered if Redfur would agree. Maybe she should have invited him.

"No," Sunstorm shrugged as if it didn't matter, getting her mind back to business.

Feathertail stopped and stared at Sunstorm, disbelief on her face.

"What is Hazeltail going to think when you don't show up?" Feathertail demanded. "What about your friends?"

"They'll miss me for a while," Sunstorm continued to tease, amused by the horror Feathertail displayed. "Then they'll get used to it."

Feathertail stared at her in shock. The even-tempered cat didn't understand or realize that Sunstorm was just pulling her tail. Joking to see what would happen.

"Are you going to make me turn around and tell Hazeltail?" Sunstorm continued, with a pretend horrified look on her face.

"I should," Feathertail sighed, "but no. We're this far. And I did tell Silverstream where I was going. She decided to stay behind this time."

Sunstorm grinned. But a part of her was disappointed Feathertail wouldn't play along anymore.

"Don't worry," she meowed. "I told Hazeltail last night."

Feathertail sighed, but at the same time shook her head in amusement, realizing she'd been tricked. Sunstorm was glad Feathertail didn't hold grudges. Anyother cat would have gotten Sunstorm back by abandoning her out of StarClan territory. Sunstorm would have done that to somecat given the chance.

That was when they came to the border. Something inside Sunstorm just knew it was the border. Although the trees looked no different, her paws didn't want to cross over the unmarked line. She glanced at her silver companion wondering if Feathertail felt the edge of the territory too. The ginger-brown she-cat suddenly wanted to stay in StarClan, but the logic part of Sunstorm prevailed. She did want to travel. She'd been planning it, longing to leave behind the dreary life of a StarClan warrior.

"Follow me and don't let your eyes off of my pelt," Feathertail meowed. "Now this could take days or moons, it varies for some reason. The border lands always do. Only when a territory is marked does it stay the same."

Sunstorm looked at her in surprise, not realizing this. She understood there were so many things yet to learn. She nodded her head. She'd follow Feathertail. The RiverClan she-cat put the first paw over the border. She walked calmly over and stood on the other side. She turned and faced Sunstorm.

"Your turn." Her face looked concerned.

Sunstorm realized the other she-cat doubted this was possible. Feathertail didn't know if it was safe for Sunstorm to go over. Sunstorm narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath, and fighting the instinct that told her to go back, she stepped over until all four paws had taken her from StarClan territory.

Sunstorm was expecting something to happen. That she'd lose all sense of direction, that she'd be caught it a whirlwind of color, that the forest would disappear and be replaced with fields. She was expecting something grand, but nothing happened at all. She just stepped over and everything was the same as always. She was still in the forest, the lake was still behind her a distant silver line behind the trees, and Feathertail was still at her side.

"Well?" Sunstorm asked. She wasn't impressed.

Feathertail looked relieved. Maybe she'd thought Sunstorm would disappear in a puff of smoke. Sunstorm kind of wished that would happen. Then at least there'd be a story to tell.

"Let's go," Feathertail meowed. "Perhaps the rest of this journey will go well too."

Feathertail led the way through the forest and toward the mountains that towered on the horizon. They looked so far away, just jagged peaks beyond the green leaves and tree branches, shadows against the blue sky. Sunstorm thought she caught a glimpse of something flying through the sky around the mountain. It flashed in the sunlight and quickly disappeared around a cloud covered peak.

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_See you again sometime!_

_Other names for Redfur: Firestone or Firefoot_


	9. Chapter 7: Lakefrost

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to my reviewers:_ Thunderspirit, Graysky, Chat et Chocolat, Oo-Rainpath-oO, _and_ Wolfgaze.

_For those who don't know: Eveningbreeze won as your favorite villain in the "Favorite Villain Poll"._

_Vote on my profile for your favorite main character. Fallingsnow is totally beating everyone else. If you don't want her to win, vote if you haven't._

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**Chapter 7**

"Fawnfur," Lakefrost muttered. The name sounded so familiar. Why did the tabby she-cat with the ginger-brown fur stick in his head so? The moment she spoke it, shivers went through Lakefrost. It had to mean something, but no matter how hard Lakefrost tried to remember, he couldn't.

"Lakefrost!"

Lakefrost's eyes snapped up, centering on the gray tom in front of him.

"You're not thinking about that pretty she-cat are you?" Ashpaw teased, a delighted grin on his face.

"No," Lakefrost meowed uncomfortably, shifted from where he sat on the ground. It felt strange lying to the apprentice. Ashpaw seemed to know, though, and his grin widened.

"Lakefrost and Fawnfur, sitting on a cloud," he started singing at the top of his lungs, "l-i-c-k-i-"

Lakefrost struck out with his paw, slamming Ashpaw to the ground. The apprentice's breath squeaked out of him and he looked at Lakefrost in shock. Lakefrost quickly took his paw off, realizing that he'd almost hurt the young tom.

"I'm sorry," he meowed, his voice tense.

Ashpaw got off of the ground, still shocked. Looking at Lakefrost in suspicion, he started backing away.

"Ashpaw," Lakefrost meowed, moving closer. He had to explain. He hadn't meant to hurt Ashpaw and he certainly didn't want the apprentice thinking anything about him and the ThunderClan medicine cat.

"What's going on?"

Lakefrost and Ashpaw quickly looked over. Brownfeather walked over to them from around a large tree trunk. He left two sparrows on the ground behind him.

"Nothing," Ashpaw instantly meowed, his eyes down.

Brownfeather looked between them, obviously sensing the tension. Lakefrost couldn't meet his father's eyes either. Brownfeather continued to look between them in the silence and finally shook his head.

"I guess I shouldn't have taken us into ThunderClan," he meowed. "It was against the code and now it's starting problems."

"That's not it!" Lakefrost protested.

Brownfeather looked at his son.

"I mean, going into ThunderClan didn't cause problems. We only helped the medicine cat apprentice. She needed it and if we ever need help, she'd give it to us," Lakefrost meowed. Slowly he realized he was just rambling on. "And maybe if we're hurt, she'll, um, help us or give us herbs or something."

"It's the something else I'm afraid of," Brownfeather meowed, his eyes glancing at Ashpaw. The apprentice ducked his head. "I could see the look both of you gave her. Let me remind you, not only is she ThunderClan, but most of all, she's a medicine cat. You cannot let your emotions get a hold of you. I'm afraid Fallingstar and I aren't really good examples for either of you."

"Brownfeather!" Lakefrost protested, his ear's straight up. "That's not it at all!"

"See that it isn't," Brownfeather meowed. "Now, get back to hunting. Come on, Ashpaw."

The apprentice quickly nodded his head and ran after his mentor, picking up both sparrows on the way as they disappearing into the forest. Lakefrost was alone. He stared after them, feeling sick inside. Why did everything have to happen so quickly? First the StarClan cats come to him and give him some obscure prophecy expecting him to figure it out and then Brownfeather decides to help Fawnfur who looked like she needed help carrying her herbs. Now Ashpaw and Brownfeather were getting the wrong idea about Fawnfur and Lakefrost. Why did her name have to bother him?

Lakefrost shook his head and decided to take his mind off of it by hunting. He quickly stood up and wandered off. He hoped the prey was starting to forget about Ashpaw and his horrible singing. If not, Lakefrost would have to go to the other side of the territory. He wondered how he'd make it up to the apprentice. He'd lost his temper and that hadn't been right for him to do.

"Maybe I'll help him clean out the elders den," Lakefrost murmured. He shook out his fur and hurried along.

Later, around sunset, the tom was back in camp. He'd yet to see Ashpaw again and tell him he was sorry. To wait, he sat beside Knotfur and a few other Clanmates.

"You wouldn't believe the size of that toad Orangestripe caught!" she meowed, her eyes shining. "It was like, this big!"

She spread out her paws on the ground. It was almost wider than she could reach.

"You're pulling my tail," Dappleflower meowed, rolling her eyes.

Bluepaw copied her mentor.

"No, I'm not," Knotfur protested. "He really did."

"Then where is it?" Lakefrost asked. He hadn't seen it on the fresh-kill pile all day.

"I just said he caught it," Knotfur muttered. "I didn't say he killed it."

"What?" Dappleflower meowed. "Are you saying he just let it go? Something like that could have fed two cats!"

"He didn't let it go," Knotfur meowed, indignant. "It jumped up and knocked his chin. He was dazed and it got away."

"What were you doing while it hopped away?" Lakefrost meowed. He wasn't sure he believed her story either. It was still a good one, but unbelievable.

"I was laughing too hard to stop it," Knotfur meowed, looking at the ground. Lakefrost could see an amused glint in her eye. Her mouth twitched like she was trying not to laugh.

"Where is Orangestripe?" Bluepaw asked, looking around. "I want to ask him about it!"

"He's in the medicine cat den," Knotfur meowed after a few short breaths to calm herself. "It really knocked him. His lip was bleeding where he bit it."

As if to prove her words, the ginger tom came out of the medicine cat den. Lakefrost looked at him and saw that his jaw was swollen. Some cobweb was holding on the herbs given to him. Lakefrost couldn't stop himself as he burst into laughter. A toad had done all that?

He wasn't surprised to hear the rest of the group join in. Dappleflower was trying to be polite and had a paw over her mouth and kept trying to breath calmly, but her eyes were watering with the strain of keeping the laughter in. Bluepaw wasn't so reserved. She was rolling on the ground gasping for air. Knotfur seemed to be more amused by everyone else than her brother's appearance. Her bright laughter twinned around the camp, drawing a few cats out of the den.

"Thanks a lot, Knotfur," Orangestripe glowered. His voice came out stiff and it was almost hard to understand. The swelling had gotten to him. Maybe he'd bitten his tongue too.

Knotfur just snickered, unable to speak. Her brother stalked off. It looked like he was going to the warrior's den, but the cats peering out at him started laughing as well, amused and wondering why he had that wrap on his head. The ginger tom's tail whipped around and he stalked out of the camp. On the way he passed Honeybee who ran into camp, her eyes wide. Orangestripe looked at her as if expecting sympathy but she ran passed without seeing him. That made Orangestripe even more angry and with a growl he was completely gone. Of course this display just encouraged the rest of the camp even more.

Lakefrost could hardly see Honeybee when she stopped right in front of him. His mirth was just too overwhelming. Right now he didn't feel bad about doing this to Orangestripe, but later he would. He certainly wouldn't have wanted to be laughed at if he was in pain.

"What is everyone so happy about?" Honeybee asked, staring at everyone. That sent Bluepaw into even more laughter and finally even Dappleflower couldn't stop.

"No really, what's going on?" Honeybee asked, utterly confused. Her earlier fright seemed forgotten.

"Orangestripe," Lakefrost got out.

"Where is he?" Honeybee asked.

"Sulking," Knotfur gasped. "I should go get him."

She slowly stood up, her sides heaving as she tried to stop laughing, but half way to the entrance she just had to stop and sit down again. Lakefrost had to turn away from her to stop himself from giggling again. Many of the older warriors had stopped, not as amused by the scene as the younger ones. They also didn't know the whole story behind the wound.

"So what's going on with you?" Lakefrost got out, swallowing hard. "You came in so fast, you missed Orangestripe leaving."

"Oh," she sounded surprised, glancing at the entrance, and then her eyes narrowed. "Something happened to me," she whispered, looking around suspiciously.

By now the laughter was ceasing. Dappleflower was encouraging Bluepaw to get to her own den, but the silver-blue she-cat was still twitching all over, hardly containing herself.

"I'm going to tell Wrenpaw and Ashpaw all about it!" the she-cat exclaimed. "Maybe Stoneheart will think it's funny too!"

"Maybe," Dappleflower meowed. She briefly shared a glance with Lakefrost. They both knew the apprentice's father wasn't very interested in his kits' training.

"What happened?" Lakefrost asked, his attention snapping to Honeybee.

"Something," she whispered, her eyes still narrowed. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

Then she quickly walked over to the warriors den. Lakefrost stared after her. What was that all about? he wondered. First she looked scared, then she interests him in what happened, and then she decided to save it for tomorrow? His sister was very odd. He stared at her light brown tabby tail as it disappeared into the den. He would really have to get it out of her tomorrow and if it wasn't anything important, he was going to throw her into the lake.

Just then more cats came through the camp entrance. Knotfur had long ago left after her brother and so Ashpaw, Brownfeather, Olivespot, and Tigerheart didn't run into her. Lakefrost looked over at Ashpaw but the apprentice was surrounded by everyone else. He didn't want to spark anyone else's interest in what had happened that morning, so he quickly stood up and followed his sister into the warriors den. That was one more thing to be put off until tomorrow. He hoped he could get everything finished before the next Gathering.

As he laid down next to Badgerface and Honeybee, the words of the StarClan cats came back to him. "You have one moon."

He wondered what would happen if he didn't figure out what they wanted. He knew StarClan didn't play games, but would anything bad really happen? If they'd wanted him to succeed they should have given him more information. He shook his head and started drifting off.

Late in the night, Lakefrost woke to a cold pelt laying beside his own. He tiredly raised his head and looked over at Mallowstalk. She looked shaken.

"What's wrong?" Lakefrost murmured.

"Nothing," Mallowstalk meowed, her eyes looking into his own. "Go to sleep."

It was only too easy to obey.

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**See you some time. I don't really have a planned time. School work is getting in the way as I feared it would. I should be studying.**


	10. Chapter 8: Fawnfur

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to my patient reviewers:_ xXThunderspiritXx, xXMistsongXx, Darkness of the Eclipse, _and_ Chat et Chocolat

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Frostshine was a great help to me that day. We quickly got the herbs into storage and were out in the forest again. Frostshine limped along by my side as I searched for the herbs. I had a list of what we needed most in my head, but it was always getting pushed aside by the words Firestar had told me last night (the warning of how my Clan was in danger), and by the help the ShadowClan cats had given me. If only they'd mind their own business! I hadn't wanted to be caught with them on ThunderClan territory and told them to leave, but still I felt guilty that someone might have seen us and known what I'd done. I knew I had no right to feel as guilty as I did, but with my Clan in danger from unknown forces, it was hard for me to not take the responsibility.

"I smell mouse," Frostshine suddenly meowed, drawing my attention from the poppy flower I was digging up. I glanced up at the white she-cat.

"Are you hungry?" Frostshine asked me, looking over her shoulder.

I nodded my head. I wasn't in the mood to talk, but Frostshine didn't seem to mind. She quickly limped off to find her mouse. Sometimes I wondered how she managed to hunt on her bad paw. It would see the mouse would feel her awkward steps and get away in time, but somehow she managed and wasn't the worst hunter in the Clan. I could only be in awe of cats who overcame disabilities to be useful to their Clans. On my list of heroes were Brightheart, Frostshine, Deadfoot, and Littletail (a cat from long ago SkyClan who had such short back legs and tail that he couldn't jump up into the trees like his Clanmates but managed to be a very good fighter). I wondered how these cats could persevere without the powers of StarClan my sister and I possessed. Even now I was worried I couldn't manage the task StarClan had given me. How was I supposed to find the four warriors and stop the destruction of my Clan? For now I was doing all that I could and that was gathering herbs.

My muddy claws finally pulled up the flower by the roots. I laid it down beside me and started on the next. I knew I could pull up only two more. Jayfeather and I still needed a store for other seasons after all. If my Clan survived that long.

I was done with those two flowers when Frostshine came back. She had a mouse and a squirrel in her jaws.

"Here you are," the white she-cat meowed. She placed the squirrel in front of me.

I devoured the prey. I was surprised at how hungry I was. I'd almost forgotten my own needs over my fervor to save my Clan. Jayfeather said that was a quality all medicine cats had, but that I should take care of myself. I knew other cats would always help me with that. It was simply the way it was. I took care of the Clan and they took care of me. It was all part of my duties.

"I want to find some tansy and burdock after this," I meowed to Frostshine when we were done and the bones were buried. "Do you think you could take this to camp?"

"I can," Frostshine nodded. She picked up the flowers. She tilted her head, trying to to see the path she needed to get back to the quarry.

I watched her for a while before padding away to find my tansy and burdock. I hadn't gone far before I smelled another ThunderClan cat coming up behind me. I thought it was Frostshine and didn't pay much attention. I didn't notice that I couldn't hear her familiar limp. The tansy was very strong in my nose. I didn't think anything of the other cat until a silver pelt brushed against mine, leaning into me.

I jumped away, startled and came face to face with one cat I hadn't expected to see. His large white face reminded me of an owl and I knew his mother had named him well. Even his odd, staring yellow eyes started to unnerve me. Even with their sweet look. I could tell he was trying to say that he loved me.

"Owlface," I meowed, trying to keep my voice even. Unfortunately I could hear the wavering. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," he purred. His voice was low and almost seductive. He moved closer, the purr increasing. "We can finally be alone."

"No, Owlface," I meowed firmly, moving away. "I won't go through with this again. You and I can't be together!"

Owlface paused and after looking down only for a heartbeat, he looked back into my eyes. "Yes we can. Medicine cats have done this all the time. No one needs to know. I love you Fawnfur! I can't be without you!"

Ever since Sunstorm's death, Owlface had been devastated. They would have been mates. I'd always known after her death that he'd still wanted a mate. Unfortunately his sights became focused on the two she-cats that looked just like Sunstorm: Morningsong and me. I knew he'd gone after Morningsong for a while, but somehow she scared him away. She'd become withdrawn and angry. It was hard for anyone to approach her. She did her duties but it was obvious her heart wasn't in it. So after trying Morningsong, Owlface came for me. He seemed to believe I loved him too, or that I'd grow to love him.

"No, Owlface," I said firmly to his face even though I knew it would hurt him. "I won't repeat the mistakes of the past. I will not take a mate. I am a medicine cat. I will only serve my Clan and StarClan."

Owlface started pleading with me then, trying to make me change my mind. He told me sweet things and he told me things to make me guilty. I ignored him, moving of if he came to close. Eventually he gave up.

He never did anything to hurt me, to force me into being his. I was afraid that some point he might. I don't know what I'd do then. I might have to get Bramblestar's help. However Bramblestar wasn't such a great leader, not like the others I could _Look_ at from the past. There was some quality that he lacked but that made him a great deputy. Cinderheart was more of the leader. I wondered if I could take my problem to her. I wondered if she'd see it as a medicine cat problem or a daughter problem. I wasn't so sure going to her would actually help or if the Clan would just think me silly.

Owlface sat down beside me and started talking to me about other things than loving him. He told me about his border patrol and how WindClan had been walking around the border. He was sure they were thinking about crossing and stealing prey again. I tried to listen, but my mind was on my task and how important it was to gather the herbs and the coming problem.

"Sunstorm loved butterflies," Owlface meowed as he watched two flit through the tansy flowers.

I glanced up at them and Owlface who had a suddenly sad look on his face. No, he wasn't over Sunstorm's death either. For the first time in a long while, I felt sorry for him. He really had loved her so much. I wished I could help him get over her death like he could probably help me, but I knew he'd take it the wrong way and think that I wanted to be mates with him.

"Yes, they are beautiful," I agreed, licking the dirt from my muzzle.

His eyes brightened and he told a story about Sunstorm after became a warrior. Owlface and Sunstorm were on a hunting patrol and she ended up chasing a butterfly. As he spoke, I could feel myself go back in time to watch as it happened. Sometimes it was hard to control these visions and this happened to be one of those times.

_**-Line to past-**_

_Sunstorm saw the shadow flying through the air. It was a bit hard to see as the bright sun reflected off of the bright white snow. The thick branches cast long shadows down on her, but it didn't defuse the sunlight. She had to squint. The she-cat glanced over at Owlface, but he was trying to dig out a mouse den. He was convinced it wasn't that deep and wanted to get the mouse inside._

_Sunstorm turned away from him and looked up, trying to find that shadow. She could still see it. It wasn't going very fast, but it wasn't going slow either. It would make an impressive catch if she were to get this. She was sure it was a bird. And what warrior or apprentice could brag they'd caught a bird in flight?_

_She licked her lips and prepared, lowering herself for a jump and targeted where the shadow would be. She got ready and at the right moment, leapt for the sky. Her back legs kicked under her, pushing her high. Her front claws came out and her forelimbs twisted, grabbing the bird to her chest. For a moment she felt its wings flutter against her brown-ginger fur. Sunstorm came down. She hit the ground and rolled, not willing to let her prey go, but by the time she hit the slush of snow, she had a sinking feeling inside she had caught the wrong thing._

_Sunstorm got up, shaking the wet snow from her body and looked down at the crumpled shape between her paws. The small, insect wings poked out, twitching. The small black body was slowly dying. Sunstorm looked down at it, sad. She had just killed the first butterfly to return to the forest. Newleaf was coming in a moon or two and she'd just killed the first omen that the flowers would start budding and the trees to grow leaves. Devastation filled her chest._

_Owlface approached, crunching down the thinning cover of snow, his dirty paws left stains on the white blanket. He looked at her catch and then at her._

_"I thought only kits hunted butterflies," he tried to tease her._

_Sunstorm's tail drooped. She so had wanted to impress this older warrior. Now he thought she was still a kit. She felt her fur heat up and she turned away, wanting to hide from his sight._

_Owlface blinked, surprised at her reaction and quickly hurried after her._

_"Hey, wait!"_

_He quickly caught up to her. Sunstorm waited but kept looking at the ground. The smell of a real bird was nearby but she could hear its call as it flew away, startled by Owlface's loud cry._

_"I'm sorry," the silver tom meowed. "I didn't mean you were a kit. I think it's awesome you caught that while it was flying. That's hard. When I was a kit, I never caught one."_

_Sunstorm wasn't sure if she wanted to remind him that he was born in leaf-fall. He couldn't have caught one until he became an apprentice. She didn't remind him thought because he was actually making her feel better._

_"The only thing I caught was my mother's tail," Owlface continued. "I'm sure the kits this season would love to hear about how you caught it."_

_"I didn't want to hurt it," Sunstorm sighed. "It means newleaf is coming. I love butterflies."_

_"Oh," Owlface meowed. He didn't know what to say to that. "Well, we could throw it back in the air," he suggested._

_Sunstorm looked at him and blinked. She felt a smile on her face. "You don't know much about butterflies, do you?"_

_He wordlessly shook his head, one ear tilted back to the dying butterfly._

_"I'll tell you," Sunstorm meowed._

_He smiled back at her. His tail twined around hers as they started walking again._

_-__**Line to present-**_

The vision ended and I was brought back to the greenleaf day I was living in. Heat soaked the air, brilliant green hanging off of trees and curling on bushes, the ferns starting to turn yellow at their edges. My paws were still, the claws tangled in the muddy roots of a tansy plant.

I looked at Owlface. His mouth was still moving and his eyes looking into the distance as he continued to speak. I realized that this memory was when he started loving Sunstorm and she had visions as him as her mate. It was hard not to listen to him and feel my own spark of affection for him. He really would have been good for my sister. He wasn't one of those pushy toms or a cat that had a mean streak. Fallingstar had even liked him when she used to be a ThunderClan cat.

I'd almost forgotten all about tansy and burdock when Frostshine came back. She must have followed my scent from the poppy flower patch.

"Hello, Owlface," she meowed, pleasantly, but I could see the annoyance in her eyes. Evidently so could he.

"Hi, Frostshine," Owlface tried to smile at her. He quickly stood up and stretched. "I've got to meet Sorreltail by ShadowClan."

He left us and quickly disappeared into the undergrowth. I watched him until I couldn't see him any longer.

"He's been bothering you again," Frostshine meowed, one lip curled as she gazed after him.

"No, not really," I tried to defend him, embarrassed at the same time as I remembered the way he'd greeted me.

Frostshine didn't believe me.

"Jayfeather is worried he'll try something," she meowed shaking her head.

"Jayfeather worries too much," I snapped, digging my claws into a tansy flower, tearing off the petals.

Frostshine stared at me in shock.

"You don't actually_ want_ his attention?" she asked about Owlface.

"No," I meowed, my ears back. "I don't want him at all. I wish he'd pay attention to Morningsong."

Frostshine sighed and shook her head, confused by me. But she helped, picking up the herbs I'd managed to gather before we started to the next area. We had to find some cobwebs. We never seemed to have enough when cats got into battles.

* * *

**This story is going well. Now that we have things down, the real plot should begin. **

**If you like warrior role-playing or would like to give it a try, I found out a cool Role-play site. There aren't a lot of Clan members yet and she needs more. The site is under construction but I don't think she'd mind getting people to play. There are only three so far. Go to **Fallingsnow14** profile and see the very bottom of her page on the links or go to the website: **http:/candara **dot** webs **dot** com /index **dot** htm

(I'm so annoyed I can't actually place the website here. ***grrr*** Remember, no spaces and **dots** are ".")** Good luck.**


	11. Chapter 9: Sunstorm

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_I have not yet read the fourth series Omen of the Stars but I look forward to it._

_Thanks to my reviewers: _Ginnystar, Darkness of the Eclipse, Invader Lak, Chat et Chocolat, xXThunderspiritXx, Stardust of CrystalClan, _and_ some Anonymous person with a complicated name.

_NOTE: Here the time for the Clans and Sunstorm will be different. Eventually they'll come back together, but for now we have to get to the interesting stuff._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The walk through the large forest took just a quarter moon. The lush undergrowth of moss, ferns, bushes, gorse, and vines hid plenty of food for the two she-cats and was soft enough for a nest every night. They had nothing to fear because the sky was a place for cats. They didn't have to be frightened that a dog or a fox would come.

The two sat down at the edge of the forest, a slow wind gusting through their fur as the sound of birds whistled behind them in the forest. A few young, trailing trees spread outward from the forest edge and into a field of tall grass. Blue, gold, and red flowers bobbed in the breeze. Sunlight shone down, hazing the land around them. The heavy warmth made Sunstorm's eyes droop and her body relaxed even under the shadows. She felt it would be nice just to lie down and fall asleep for a short time.

They sat just a hollyhock bush. The large, broad leaves draped down over their backs, tickling them with the breeze. Sunstorm twitched her ears at a bee as it buzzed around her face, searching for one of the purple flowers.

"That was really quick," Feathertail commented.

"What makes you say that?"

The ginger-brown she-cat stared up into the mountain range. The mighty rocks towered above, their peaks hidden in clouds. Everywhere else the sun shone in blue sky. Her tail fur stood on end. She'd never seen anything so high. She glanced across the field of tall grass that led to the foothills of the mountain. She knew that on earth the area would have been covered in twolegplaces. She was almost more willing to cross one of those than go over the mountains.

"Usually it takes more time to get across the forest," Feathertail meowed, reminding Sunstorm she'd asked a question. The silvery she-cat licked her chest and continued. "The unknown territory must be on our side."

Sunstorm shared the she-cat's smile and nodded. She'd never been outside StarClan territory before but Feathertail had made it sound dangerous. Supposedly unless cats had claimed a territory the land always changed, and a cat could get lost wandering around the unknown. After crossing it and never once getting lost, Sunstorm just thought it was all a joke the old StarClan leaders had told all the cats to make them stay together.

Feathertail glanced upward at the sky. "Well, we have half a day to go," she meowed. "We might make it to the cliff side if we hurry."

Sunstorm sighed and reluctantly stood.

The silver she-cat looked back, her long tail fur bobbing in the wind. "You know we don't have to go. I can just take you back."

Sunstorm knew Feathertail had been reluctant to take her, but they'd come so far.

"No," she purred quickly. "Let's get up there."

Feathertail looked down and then glanced up, her eyes partially hidden. "They don't really like strangers. Not since that rogue Clan came. It might be safer if I don't take you."

"It won't matter," Sunstorm answered. "Once they know I'm with you, it'll work out."

Feathertail smiled her sweet smile once more. "You are so confident. Sometimes I envy you."

Sunstorm grinned. "I always envied you. Even when my grandfather Brackenfur told the stories about the Great Journey and how you and the others found Midnight and traveled through the forests. I wished I'd been born then to go with you."

Feathertail lost her smile and looked off into the distance, her eyes sad. "There are better cats to envy. Those with better ends."

"What better end is it to sacrifice yourself for someone?" Sunstorm asked, her yellow eyes bright. Then her face hardened. "It's better than being caught in an accident."

She could still remember the branch as it hurdled for her head, bobbing downstream on the river. She hadn't even really seen it in time. She'd just had a short warning from StarClan and then nothing. Nothing but the stars in her fur and the nine cats who should have made her leader in the seasons to come.** (A/N As seen in ****When Gifts Fail****). **What a glorious end for a ThunderClan cat. Not doing anything but drinking while on a patrol. It wasn't in a war either so no cat had cleverly planned out some devious trick of shoving the large branch downstream to kill the ThunderClan cats. It had just been an accident. One mouse-brained mistake.

The fluffy tail brushed down her body and Sunstorm looked up. Feathertail's blue eyes held sympathy. The she-cat leaned in and licked Sunstorm's head.

"I'm sorry. You did have so much more to live for."

"You did to," Sunstorm acknowledged, trying to push out her angry thoughts.

"Crowfeather and I would have never made it," Feathertail sighed.

"Your kits could have been the three," Sunstorm meowed.

Feathertail smiled again. "No, it had to be someone related to Firestar. That was the prophesy long before the Great Journey. StarClan saw it so long ago."

Sunstorm looked away. StarClan didn't know anything. They hadn't helped her in time. They'd promised her the gift of seeing the future but in the end it had failed her. What did they know of the Three? It could have been someone else, not Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Dovetooth. There were so many things it could have meant. She wasn't ready to believe just yet the prophesy held one outcome. There were always possibilities.

"Let's go," she meowed and took a step out of the shade and into the tall grass. The sooner they got there, the sooner she could explore a new territory. After all, she'd never been on top of such a high mountain before or spoken to another Clan of dead cats. They might have some exciting things to do.

Feathertail shook her striped head and followed, bounding into the grass. It swallowed their slight forms, covering their heads until they became nothing more than a dark shape, pushing her way through. Only their long tails poked out like signals, Sunstorm's blending more than the gray Feathertail.

_**-Line-**_**  
**  
Night came and the two slept in the foothills. The hills rose up from the ground in rolling mounds of grass and dirt. Rocks, long fallen from the mountains, scattered around: white, gray, and misty blue. Moss clung onto the sharp edges and some vines crawled up to the tops, breaking into the hard surface, crumbling the stone to the ground.

The two she-cats made a nest next to one of the boulders, hiding in the lee so the constant wind would not blow on them. Sunstorm, laying in her nest, gazed down the hill at the grass waving around them. Light bands replaced by dark on the grass stalks as a waving ripple. The wind blew through the rocks a constant but soothing hum. What looked like silver moonlight shone down, brightening the deep shadows into something like soft snow.

Next to her, Feathertail shifted. Her long body curled up loosely and deep slow breaths rose from the small chest. Sunstorm's ear tilted back as the she-cat murmured, "Not yet . . . . I still . . ."

Sunstorm covered her pink nose with her paws and closed her eyes, remembering the conversation she and Feathertail had while sharing a rabbit earlier that evening.

"How are we supposed to climb that?" Sunstorm had asked.

"It's not as sheer as it looks," Feathertail blinked. "There are cracks and ledges. Trails lead up and boulders jut out. It won't be easy, but it is possible."

"So is this the Tribe of Endless Hunting's territory?"

"No." The she-cat shook her head. "Their territory is farther up."

"So why doesn't this change?"

"Because they're the mountains. Just like the lake, it'll always be there."

Sunstorm took a bite of the rabbit, thinking. Then she asked, "StarClan- I mean the sky," (what an odd concept to think that not every place in the sky was StarClan. When she was young, it was the only thing she believed. That Silverpelt was the whole sky and StarClan controlled it all) "It isn't like the earth."

"No," Feathertail agreed. "There are so many different things. We don't have to worry about twolegs at all. Or death, or our next meal. Nothing but our decedents."

Sunstorm really hadn't meant that. She'd been thinking more about the landscape. She wondered what the ground under this sky looked like. Did it have the foothills? Were the mountains as high?

"If only I'd been alive to explore all this," Sunstorm sighed, opening her eyes once more on the night. Her gaze shifted down to the stars in her fur. They shone like silver dots all over her. She flicked her tail, but the glow followed, clinging to her still. She sighed and looked away. Only her sisters still had the ability to travel on the ground. They could take this journey and really experience it. But Fawnfur wasn't fond of traveling and Morningsong seemed to have other goals. Both she-cats had relied on their sister for the adventures.

"If only I'd still been there."

She lowered her head and tried to sleep. Tomorrow would be exhausting. Even though she was a StarClan cat and already dead, it was strange how she needed to sleep and eat. She wasn't sure how much StarClan imitated life. She'd never really done much. Hazeltail wasn't the most encouraging of mentors.

Morning came and Sunstorm heard a bird warbling next to her. She lowered her ears and opened her blurry eyes. A bird with a yellow belly and black wings hopped on the ground next to her, chirping and singing a melody. The grass underfoot wiggled with bugs and the bird enjoyed its last meal.

Sunstorm didn't have to shift much to get on her feet. It also didn't take much effort to rush forward and use her claws to pin the songbird to the ground. She quickly ended its life and started pulling the feathers off. The constant wind blew at her back, brushing her fur the wrong way and making her feel a little chilled. She quickly retreated into the stone's side.

As she pulled off the rest of the feathers, she watched the horizon start to glow golden. Pink filled the sky above the gold as the black and dark blue retreated. The silver light of the moon faded off of the stalks of grass as bright yellow filled the air. Slowly the rim of the sun rose above the horizon and Sunstorm had to look away, easing the pain in her eyes. She started eating the bird, letting the feathers float away on the gusting wind.

Shortly after sunrise, Feathertail woke up. The silver she-cat stretched, her sharp claws digging into the dirt as her back arched. The sunlight glinted down, reflecting off of her dark stripes.

"You've eaten."

Sunstorm nodded and started licking her paws.

"I'll catch something and we can leave," Feathertail meowed. She walked off, her steps light as she parted the grass before her.

Later the two she-cats started up the cliff side. Sunstorm looked up at the towering rock. It seemed to sway before her eyes. Large rocks dangled perilously off the sides and narrow cracks slitted the rock upwards. A few ledges lined the way. The narrow, kinked branches of bushes perched on the cliff side danced in the breeze. Sunstorm shook, fluffing out her fur and looked back the way they'd come. The hill sloped downward to the waving grass, their colorful flowers still fighting the breeze. A few petals tore off, flying away.

Rocks clicking together caught Sunstorm's attention. She looked up to see Feathertail leaping up a sloping trail. Sunstorm didn't want to be left behind and gathered her feet under her, jumping onto the ledge. She scrambled upward, her claws slipping on the slick rock. She kept her wide eyes on Feathertail's low back. The she-cat didn't stop moving until she reached another ledge. She pulled herself up with a bush. Sunstorm quickly joined her on the flatter surface, her paws balancing on the jagged rocks. The wind threatened to blow them down.

"This hurts," she moaned licking one of her aching pads.

"The Tribes have very hard feet," Feathertail panted. "You'll get it too depending on how long you stay."

Sunstorm thought about that as she rested. She didn't quite know. She wasn't excited so far about returning to StarClan, but after a moon that might change. Sunstorm looked over at the sliver she-cat as Feathertail looked up the cliff side for another trail.

"We're going to have to jump," Feathertail meowed suddenly.

Sunstorm's head came up. Jump? She looked over and saw another ledge jutting out just a fox tail over and up. The jutting stone led a short way up to an even larger ledge. She looked at the rock under her paw and at the ledge a few lengths away. It was all smooth stone. She slowly leaned around Feathertail and looked down. A straight but long fall to the ground below. She swallowed. Did it hurt to fall? Would she break bones?

"Why does it have to be so difficult?" she growled, taking a step back.

"I assume it's the Tribe's protection. One way to keep cats they don't want out," Feathertail answered. She held her bright blue eyes on Sunstorm. "It is actually easier getting down. Are you ready?"

Sunstorm closed her eyes and quickly nodded her head. At least she wasn't quite at the top yet. If she fell from that height, she'd hate herself. So close just to fail.

"Just follow me," Feathertail smiled assuringly.

The silver she-cat backed away and took a running leap at the next ledge. Her fur clung close to her body as she jumped, her paws outstretched. Sunstorm watched, holding her breath as Feathertail landed. The she-cat's back paws slipped over the edge and Feathertail landed on her side. She slowly got up and looked over her shoulder, unable to turn around because of the narrowness.

"Follow me when I get to the next ledge," she yelled back. Her voice just carried over the roar of the wind.

Sunstorm nodded and watched as Feathertail clawed her way up along cracks to the even bigger ledge. She quickly disappeared over the side and Sunstorm blinked. It was even bigger than she thought. When Feathertail didn't appear again, Sunstorm got worried. She had a feeling Feathertail might have fallen into a ditch or a very large ravine in the rock. She continued watching but still no former RiverClan cat head poked itself over the side.

Heart pounding, Sunstorm started running. She closed her eyes at the last second as she shoved her back legs. She sprang into the air, for a short time sailing. Her eyes flinched open as her front paws landed on the hard surface of the ledge. Her back legs didn't stop moving and she raced up the cliff side, her claws seeking the cracks. She slipped twice, her claws failing to hold on the slippery moss hiding in the crevasses. She continued to pull herself up, relying on luck more than anything else. And then her paws reached the ledge. She caught hold of something and heaved herself over the side.

Exhausted she lay there, her paws under her and her muzzle resting on the cold rock. The wind blew over her, swirling her short ginger-brown fur. She breathed, listening to the roar. She slowly realized it wasn't the wind anymore. She looked up, pulling her aching legs from under her. Many fox lengths away she saw a large river falling from a higher level on the mountain side. She stared, watching it pool and then weave its way down another slope, disappearing over a cliff. She realized she wasn't on a ledge like she'd thought. It was hard to explain but it was like the ground. A large part of the mountain had given way for this cave-like platform. Above her the rock curled outward which from below made the area look like a ledge when it really was just a large open space.

A silver shape hunched over the water near the pool, one paw raise in the air, poised over the water. Sunstorm growled and shakily stood up. She made her way over to Feathertail over the scattered rocks. She approached the roaring falling river, her ears pulled back at the noise. Mist rose in the air, making the ground wet and slick where the moss didn't cover.

"Thank you so much for being there for me," Sunstorm hissed.

Feathertail flinched and looked quickly over, suddenly ignoring the fish swimming in the pool. She looked shocked. "I-I'm sorry. I just didn't want to get in your way."

"I thought you'd fallen," Sunstorm meowed, her teeth clenched. "You didn't even peek over to tell me it was okay."

Feathertail looked down, her blue eyes sad but understanding. "I hadn't realized. I'm sorry."

Sunstorm wanted to hiss again. Why was Feathertail so annoying? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. She growled to herself and stalked off in the direction of the back of the cave.

"This river leads to StarClan," Feathertail meowed, her voice straining over the sound of the waterfall.

Sunstorm stopped and glanced over. Her tail twitched as she debated going over or punishing Feathertail by saying nothing. Finally curiosity won.

"What do you mean?" She turned around and walked back to the pool.

Feathertail looked down and continued. "This water starts in a river high above in the mountains. A part falls over to the Tribe's home cave and after a series of waterfalls it leads to the bottom of the mountain. If you look down," she raised her head over the place the water disappeared. "You can see the river. Depending on how high we get you can see that it leads to the divide between our StarClan and Summerheat's StarClan."

Sunstorm's ears went forward and whiskers twitching she went to get a better look. She walked close to the edge, but not too close, and looked. Just as Feathertail had said, far below a shiny blue river twisted its way through the waving, purple-looking grass and into the green tops of the forest. It disappeared for a short time under the green only to reappear in a black divide near a shining golden lake. Breathless Sunstorm could only stare.

A figure appeared at her side, close to her, almost forcing her off the cliff. Sunstorm swiftly turned around and faced Feathertail. The she-cat glanced at Sunstorm and then looked down below as well. Heart pounding and eyes narrowed, Sunstorm backed away, retreating to the safer part of the cave.

* * *

**Hopefully that kept you interested. I'm trying to use more active voice like my creative writing teacher told me and using more description. Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 10: Mallowstalk

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to readers and reviewers: _Ginnystar, Chat et Chocolat, Thunderspirit, Darkness of the Eclipse, and Stardust of Crystalclan.

_Let's get a taste of Mallowstalk's point of view. Yes, usually this would be Lakefrost's but I wanted to show another cat's experience and Lakefrost seems so good and willing to do anything we needed another perspective for what's coming up._

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The ginger she-cat walked forward, the wide moonlight glowing down on the faint stripes in her fur. She moved soundlessly through the pine trees, her black paws invisible in the night as if she glided instead of stalking. Her bright yellow eyes pierced the darkness, looking for any movement. So far just the bats flitting overhead in the warm early greenleaf air caught her attention. Not much prey dared be out in the dark in ShadowClan territory. She didn't mind though. If she didn't catch anything for the Clan, she at least had the pleasure of being out of camp.

Mallowstalk didn't much care for being with the other cats. Sure she liked her Clan and definitely loved her siblings, but she just couldn't stand being surrounded by so many cats. And ShadowClan wasn't even the biggest Clan by the lake! Something about being in their presence made her nervous as if they were all staring at her, watching and judging her as if they were thinking about her parents. Her young mother, somehow the leader of ShadowClan, one time ThunderClan warrior who had all these new ideas that made ShadowClan far from the dangerous Clan it once was. Or they were thinking about Brownfeather, Mallowstalk's father the warrior that dared find love in another Clan and fight off the traitor within his own. Mallowstalk didn't want to be looked at while cats thought of her parents, or she thought with dread, her ancestors.

She was related to the great Tigerstar of ShadowClan, another traitor in the past. Related through Brownfeather, son of Tigerheart, son of Tawneypelt who was the daughter of the tabby tyrant. On her mother's side, Mallowstalk could trace her family to the great Firestar, leader of ThunderClan. Fallingstar, once Fallingsnow of ThunderClan, was daughter of Dewstep, a onetime rogue who was the son of Hollyleaf-the murderous she-cat everyone thought had died. And Hollyleaf had been the unknown daughter of Leafpool (of course that wouldn't have changed anything if Hollyleaf had still been Squirrelflight's. Firestar was still in her blood). The two greatest enemies somehow combined within her. Something that the whole lake could judge, wondering just which side she took after.

Mallowstalk sighed and shook the gloomy thoughts off of her like rain water. She couldn't think about it. It would distract her from the hunt. There were some interesting creatures out at night. She could find a few mice and a bat was almost like a bird except faster. If she could also catch an owl that would be something to talk about next Gathering. She smiled. The last had been just last night. She hadn't attended this one, but the Gathering before she'd participated as a warrior at last, feeling grand for once. She wanted to do something good that would make the Clans all realize she was just like them. That despite what mixed up things her parents and ancestors had done, she wouldn't.

The ginger warrior yawned, feeling so tired. The dark tree shadows leaned around her. She could faintly see birds roosting up high and wondered if she dared climb for any. It was dangerous in the dark and her mentor had advised against it, even when the Clan was in need. She continued to look up, her eyes on the bats above, daring one to come closer. She could see Silverpelt behind their shadowed bodies. The stars of StarClan glittered above, dimmed by the glowing moon, but still they sat there waiting. She wondered what it was liked above in the stars and what StarClan did all day. Did they have patrols? She wondered. Did they have to hunt or fight? She wondered if the dens were crowded.

The she-cat's nose wrinkled. She didn't think she'd be able to handle that. So many cats in a tight space. . . She shivered, her tail wrapping around her paws. When she opened her yellow eyes, Mallowstalk saw two bright streaks travel across the sky. She held her breath, watching the falling stars. They seemed to get so bright, coming closer and closer, and then- the light disappeared, leaving dazzles in her eyes. She could hardly see now that her night vision was ruined. She blinked away the spots in her eyes and stood up to hunt.

A short time later, the sound of padding paws caught her attention. They were behind her as if someone followed her over the needles and roots. They weren't being very quiet, not like hunters or an enemy Clan fearing discovery. She flicked her ginger ears back and lifted her head, trying to catch the scent. Was it one of the other warriors? Where they stalking her? As she walked on and the cat did not pick up the pace, she began to be worried, her heart pounding just a bit faster. They were just walking, not hunting and not trying to talk with her. She quickly hurried around a tree and stopped, turning around, the fur on her neck raised. She quickly listened for the paw steps. They sounded to her right, pausing just slightly. They knew she wasn't walking anymore.

Mallowstalk lowered herself, stepping forward lightly as if hunting a mouse. As she neared the approaching sound, she sniffed, trying to catch the scent of the cat. The air was still and she couldn't pinpoint the smell, although it did smell like ShadowClan. . .

"This isn't funny," she hissed under her breath. "I'm not an apprentice anymore. My mentor can't keep doing this."

Some assessments had gone this way, she'd hunt only to be pounced on in a mock attack when she least expected it. She'd grown ever watchful during hunting, scared some cat would start a battle with ShadowClan.

Mallowstalk took another step forward, bending over the tree root. She suddenly sprang up as the sound got closer. She came face to face with a glittering cat. The small silver dots along its fur lit up a tiny area, shadows jumping wildly as the cat stumbled backward. Mallowstalk growled, confused and uncertain in the light. This wasn't any cat she'd seen before. But the scent of ShadowClan was everywhere. She flexed her claws, ready to attack, but then another cat came from nowhere, walking from the shadows like Mallowstalk had done before. This other cat glittered too and Mallowstalk realized she was outnumbered. She wondered just how many friends these glowing cats had.

"Mallowstalk," the second cat meowed. The voice was a tom's and she flicked her eyes over. Now that she looked at him, she could see he was a dark ginger. His face was a mix of old and young and something about him reminded her of Brownfeather. She blinked her eyes uncertainly, glancing back at the she-cat she'd first faced. The dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes looked calmer now. She sat down, her matted fur looking like the night sky with stars in it now that Mallowstalk looked. None of them threatened her. They waited, watching her with amused eyes.

"Just like your brother," the she-cat rasped with her gravelly voice. She laughed, it sounded harsh, but it wasn't a mocking laugh. Mallowstalk looked between the two intruders. Why where they here? They weren't acting like enemies at all!

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"That doesn't matter," the ginger tom meowed shortly. "We don't have much time."

He turned his gaze from the she-cat to Mallowstalk. "We've come here to deliver a message from StarClan. You don't have much time because a Clan will be destroyed if you don't hurry."

"A Clan?" she didn't understand. And StarClan?

"In one moon the thunder will be stilled by the evening and the morning. Only the four and the fawn can prevent this disaster from happening. Hurry."

He nodded at her and the stars in their fur started growing dim. Their shapes faded away from her and Mallowstalk could only stare. Suddenly the gray she-cat became solid again. She looked directly into Mallowstalk's eyes with her own yellow ones. "Tell this to Badgerface. Somehow he is able to ignore us, but he can't right now. We're afraid of sending him a dream because he might not remember."

She blinked and then disappeared. The bright light shot away, going back into the sky. Mallowstalk watched the streaks before looking back into the shadows of the dark forest. She shook her head. Had she really seen that? She looked around but there was only the scent of ShadowClan and underfoot the soft ground of her territory. She could see nothing of their presence, no fur or paw marks. She stared hard. She swallowed and stood up, making her unsteady way back to camp.

Only the night guard saw her enter. He nodded to her as she crept into the warrior's den. Inside she quickly lay next to her siblings. Her paws didn't stop trembling.

Lakefrost woke up, his gray tabby pelt shifted until he could look at her, his blue eyes blurry as if he wasn't quite awake.

"What's wrong?" he mewed, blinking at her.

"Nothing," she replied staring at him. "Go back to sleep."

He closed his eyes and rolled over just to start snoring. She gave him a tired smile and curled up next to him. Badgerface was on one side of her and Honeybee on the far side of Lakefrost. The four were together. Mallowstalk glanced upward at the bush's heavy enclosure. It was warm with all the cats. Their breaths slow and heavy. It was hard to believe that something so unnatural had just occurred. Mallowstalk didn't know what to do with what the two StarClan cats had told her. What had they meant? It made no since at all, and what did Badgerface have to do with anything? Her eyes slowly closed even as she tried to think things through. Reality and dreams blended in an instant.

_**-Line-**_

Honeybee led the way through ShadowClan territory. Mallowstalk paced by her yellow sister's side, Lakefrost and Badgerface following behind. Honeybee had said this was important, but Mallowstalk would rather be hunting. She could hear the claws of squirrels and mice just around every tree, eating, waiting to be caught. She wanted to be out, but Honeybee insisted they all come, though they each had something else they should be doing. Mallowstalk hoped Lakefrost and Badgerface didn't get in trouble for abandoning their duties. They had patrols to go on. Lakefrost was missing the dawn patrol for this and Badgerface should have been hunting with Mallowstalk, Wrenpaw, and her mentor.

"She was acting strange yesterday," Lakefrost whispered to Badgerface. Mallowstalk twisted an ear back to listen and she looked upward through the high tree branches at the bluing sky. Her paws glided across the ground, not paying attention to where she really went. "She was all scared and then wouldn't tell me a thing," her gray tabby brother continued. "If she doesn't have anything useful, I'm going to throw her in the lake."

Badgerface chuckled.

Honeybee looked behind and then at Mallowstalk. "What are they laughing about?"

"Nothing," Mallowstalk meowed, trying to keep her face straight. She wasn't sure she agreed with Lakefrost, but it sounded like a good idea. At least then they could say they were rescuing their sister instead of avoiding patrols.

Honeybee narrowed her eyes but hurried forward. Mallowstalk finally noticed they were heading for the border leading away from the lake. The trees were thicker there and less wet. The pines took over from the taller hardwood trees with high branches. What little undergrowth faded away to almost nothing, fallen logs everywhere. Mallowstalk hadn't once been out of territory but she had a feeling it was a lot more wild out there. Her sister didn't stop but stepped right over the scentmarkers. Mallowstalk paused at the edge, staring at her. Between the trees to the right a bare trail led up to the twoleg nest. To the left far below near the RiverClan territory the greenleaf-place would be packed with twolegs playing on the lake.

"What are-" Mallowstalk tried to meow.

"No one can hear this," Honeybee hissed back. "We can't chance that our Clan will hear."

"Hear what?" Badgerface asked. The amused smile had been replaced with annoyance. His green eyes glinting.

"What I have to tell you!" his sister answered, exasperated.

"This better be good," Lakefrost meowed.

"If any cat catches us out here. . ." Mallowstalk continued.

She quickly joined her sister on the other side. The brothers reluctantly followed, glancing behind at the territory. Mallowstalk felt this was worse than invading another Clan's territory. Out here there was nothing. It wasn't Clan territory. They weren't supposed to be out here, away from Clan and its code.

Luckily Honeybee didn't take them far. She led them to a bush near a clump of toadstools. She sat down in the shadow. Lakefrost quickly joined her. Mallowstalk could see the interest on his tabby face. She wondered what could be this secretive that Honeybee had to take them out of territory. If it was about her latest tom, she certainly would toss her sister into the lake.

When everyone was settled, Honeybee burst out. "StarClan came to me yesterday."

"What?" Lakefrost and Mallowstalk meowed together. "Me too."

They shared a glance. He'd seen StarClan? She looked at him and then at her sister. All three? They each looked at Badgerface.

"N-no, I didn't see StarClan," he got out, his green eyes shocked.

"Well, I did," Honeybee mowed, looking way. "They told me a prophecy."

Lakefrost nodded eagerly.

"They had a message for Badgerface too," Mallowstalk meowed, suddenly remembering. She looked at her brother. "You're in this too."

He looked relieved.

"So we all know where a part of this," Lakefrost purred. "So what does it mean?"

Everyone went silent and didn't meet any eyes. Mallowstalk looked away and peered out of a bush. She could still remember the glittering stars on the fur. She couldn't quite remember what they'd said to her she'd been so surprised.

"No one has any idea?" Lakefrost asked.

"Well. . ." Mallowstalk paused. "I remember something about morning and evening."

"And silenced thunder," Honeybee put in.

"Good, good," Lakefrost meowed, nodding. "I heard something about a fawn and that I only had a moon. Does that sound right?"

They all nodded. Only Badgerface looked confused. Lakefrost lay down on the ground. Mallowstalk slowly copied him; this would be a long time. The dampness seeped into her undercoat. The toadstools were crushed and their sharp, musty smell filled the area.

Lakefrost continued, "Well, I know that the fawn is Fawnfur of ThunderClan-"

"How do you know?" Honeybee interrupted.

"She's the only fawn around here," Lakefrost defended himself. "If we go to her, I'm sure she'll have more information for us."

"That means the thunder to be silence is ThunderClan," Badgerface muttered.

"ThunderClan can deal with their own problems," Mallowstalk growled, getting up. "Why do we have to help them?"

They shouldn't have to go to ThunderClan with anything. They were two separate Clans! Why couldn't Fawnfur just do it all herself? She was a ThunderClan cat. Why did they have to go to them? If they went to ThunderClan, they'd be betraying their Clan. WindClan or RiverClan would think they were plotting together. Already WindClan thought the two were so close. They couldn't afford another battle after that last large one Eveningbreeze had caused.

Lakefrost frowned at her. "StarClan wants us to," he meowed. "And if we do nothing, we might be next."

Mallowstalk looked away from his gaze but slowly sat back down. The tom let out his breath and looked at the other warriors.

"So, if we work together, we can figure this out."

For a while no one spoke and then Honeybee spoke up. "Between morning and evening is day."

"Or night if you reverse it," Badgerface meowed. "You know, evening and morning?" He looked at them with his green eyes. His tail flicked, scaring away a fly that tried to land on him. Mallowstalk eyed the flying creature as it neared her.

"So the danger is coming in the night," Lakefrost meowed.

"Yes," Mallowstalk agreed. "That's what they said."

"Maybe it s someone named Night," Honeybee meowed.

"Who do you know?" Mallowstalk asked her sister.

"Nightshade in ThunderClan."

"Why would he destroy ThunderClan?" Mallowstalk asked, disgusted. "He's one of them! If he did, he wouldn't come after ShadowClan. Fallingstar is the leader!"

Nightshade would never attack his own sister.

"Maybe a rogue," Badgerface put in.

"Maybe," Lakefrost nodded. "I think we should contact Fawnfur."

"No," Mallowstalk meowed, her ears back as she stood again. The mushrooms fell from her sides. "That's where I draw the line. I don't see why we have to get caught up in ThunderClan problems. They're the strongest Clan in the forest. They can't be defeated. And if this were true, whoever it is trying to kill them, they must only have a grudge on ThunderClan. Why else target them? We'll be fine."

She stared hard at her brother. Lakefrost just looked at her in shock and looked around to see the others nodding. Mallowstalk took heart. They weren't as crazy as Lakefrost after all. They felt like she did. She couldn't understand why Lakefrost wanted to help an enemy Clan or even why he wanted to talk to this Fawnfur so much, but she knew it was a mouse-brained thing to do.

"No, you don't mean that," he protested. "How can you be so blind? Once they're gone, WindClan will try to get their land and we'll want it too. It will just cause fighting."

"At least we'll have more hunting grounds," Mallowstalk meowed, keeping her face straight and voice level. She quickly pushed her way under the bush, the twigs digging into her back as she left. She stalked way, keeping her tail high and ears lifted. She would not show Lakefrost how much his surprise and disappointment hurt her. How much she was regretting what she said. It just wasn't possible to go back now. Everything in her head screamed at her that it was illogical to help this other Clan. She couldn't let her emotions get a hold of her. Not like Lakefrost who always seemed to defend ThunderClan when anyone else spoke against it. She couldn't associate another Clan. Not ever. If anyone thought she or her siblings would help, they'd think they were betraying ShadowClan. She couldn't ever let that happen.

The she-cat walked over the border and as she went, a shadow appeared at her side. She looked over, seeing Honeybee.

"Why aren't you there?" Mallowstalk asked. "You got us out here."

Honeybee looked down and sighed. "I know. It just seemed so important. I've never spoken to StarClan before and it bothered me. But Lakefrost. . . he's going too far," she sighed again. "I have better things to do than help a Clan that won't appreciate it."

Mallowstalk nodded, a slight smile on her face. At least someone else agreed with her. It made her feel a bit better. They didn't get far when the sound of running came after them. Mallowstalk peered back to see Badgerface coming around the trees. He was panting when he reached them.

"You said no too?" Mallowstalk asked, her voice suddenly weak. No one was with Lakefrost?

Badgerface nodded, not meeting her eyes. "I didn't see how I could help."

Mallowstalk thought she saw something in his eyes. Something hurt. He was hiding from her. Hiding something that held him back from helping his brother. Mallowstalk didn't even want to ask. For a while the three walked together, saying nothing as they went back to camp and then Badgerface spoke up.

"He left before me," the brown tabby meowed, dragging one black paw through the dirt. "I heard something before he left."

"What?" Mallowstalk asked, looking at him again.

"He wondered how to get close to Fawnfur."

"Well how?" Honeybee asked when Badgerface said nothing for a short time.

"He said the only way to see a medicine cat was to be injured." He looked at his sisters. "I'm scared. He might do something dangerous to himself. He can't have something light. The ThunderClan cats would just send him home to get Flametail then. But if he has something major then Fawnfur will have to look at him."

Mallowstalk's breath caught. Just how mouse-brained was her brother? How could he think to do this stupid thing?

"We have to stop him," she meowed. "We've got to keep an eye on him to prevent him from hurting himself."

The others nodded.

"At least that's something I can do," Badgerface sighed.

Mallowstalk reached over and quickly licked his head. Whatever was bothering him he had to get over. She just wasn't sure how. Maybe he needed to get his mind off of something. But first they had to solve Lakefrost's problem. Her brother was turning crazy fast.

* * *

**What crazy idea does Lakefrost have? Find out next time (or three chapters later I suppose).**

**I'm taking a short break. Maybe in about a week I'll upload the next. I'm going to be very busy this week end and I have a few trips. Hope to come back!**


	13. Family Tree

_Disclaimer: Cats by Erin Hunter, Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_For those who don't know my other stories here is a family tree to help you. I hope it is readable_

_Thanks to_ Chat et Chocolat _who came up with the idea. I used her format but changed it around so it would fit onto the chapter without bunching up._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Firestar +Sandstorm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tigerstar +Goldenflower

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | KITS - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - KITS OF|- - - - - - |

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Squirrelflight, Leafpool +Crowfeather - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt +Rowanclaw

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | KITS - -| KITS- - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | KITS- - - - | KITS - - -|-

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf + Raven- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Flamestreak, Dawncloud, Tigerheart + Ivytail

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - KITS OF H&R- -|1ST - -|1ST LITTER- - - - - - -| 2ND- - |2ND- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |KITS - - - - |KITS

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Coonie +Darkfire, Dewstep+ Ivyflight Coalpelt, Patchcloud - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Brownfeather, Acornpelt

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C&D - |KIT- - - - - - - - - |KITS OF |- -D&I - - - | KITS- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Hickoryheart - - - - - Nightshade, Frostshine, Fallingstar + Brownfeather

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - F&B|- - - - - KITS|- - - OF-| - - - - - F&B-|

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mallowstalk, Badgerface, Lakefrost, Honeybee

* * *

**Sorry that it's not a chapter like you were expecting. I'll get back next week. Now I have a graduation ceremony to get to and a senior trip. Bye!**


	14. Chapter 11: Fawnfur

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _Stardust of Crystalclan, Chat et Chocolate, _and _Darkness of the Eclipse.

_Glad that I'm back. I hope this chapter goes as well as I hope._

* * *

**Chapter 11**

I looked over the herbs I'd collected in the last few days. They filled the small storage area in the medicine cat den, almost piling out. Soft, fresh, newly collected. It was pleasant not to have to worry so much about running out of supplies. I stared at it, breathing in the calming scents of thyme and chamomile, my heartbeat slowing and my tense muscles relaxing but still sore. I purred, believing I'd done a good job. Even with Owlface stalking me behind every tree.

My face hardened and my nose wrinkled. I really had to do something about him. Maybe get him interested in another she-cat. Someone available or who didn't care how many toms she flirted with.

"If you keep this up," came Jayfeather's familiar meow behind me, "We won't have anything to do. Cat's don't get injured that often."

I turned to face my mentor, my ginger-brown tabby fur brushing the narrow passage. "If a battle is coming, we need to be prepared." I still feared we'd all be in a battle we couldn't win, where ThunderClan would be destroyed utterly.

He blinked his sightless blue eyes at me and I stared into their depths. In the dim light from the entrance I could hardly see his light gray tabby fur. It just looked dark gray in the darkness. Somewhere beside us, the small waterfall trickled into the pool; another soothing sound. The cave was oddly silent, bare of any usual cats. It was greenleaf and so sickness wasn't too likely, injuries would only come from thorns or fox and badger attacks, or else some cat would overeat and need our help. I suddenly realized it would be kind of boring without anything to do. Now that I'd filled the storage area, I couldn't really gather more herbs unless Jayfeather was willing to give up his nest.

I looked upward in exasperation. I'd just worked myself for nothing, in a frenzy of certainty something would happen soon. I quickly looked back at my mentor, sitting down.

"Have you found anything?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No. No one is even thinking about attacking or destroying the Clan. I could almost say I wonder if StarClan is mistaken. But they've been right all too often. Even if they are unfair and cruel about it." He took a deep breath.

I nodded. He had many experiences with StarClan, not all of them pleasant. They sometimes thought they were doing best when it hurt many cats. I hoped Firestar wasn't being like the rest of our dead ancestors. I hoped he still cared for the living. If I thought back I could almost remember what he'd said to me that one night. Had it just been two days ago? Three? Time seemed to blur and suddenly I was taken back.

_**-Line to the past-  
**_  
_The stars glittered overhead through the dark leaves of the trees and over the quarry. Vines trailed over the walls, looping over the cracks in the stone, a few flowers hanging off. No other cats were out and I was alone as I sat outside of the medicine cat den. Dark shadows and bright moonlight streamed down on me as I sat there, contemplating. Jayfeather went to the Gathering without me because he felt I had to stay in camp. I looked up into Silverpelt, wondering which one was my sister when suddenly I smelled a familiar scent next to me._

I turned quickly and met the face of Firestar. He sat up against the quarry wall, relaxed and smiling. The flame-colored leader looked healthy again, probably like he had before I was born. He was strong and had a friendly glint in his eyes which were longer tired. He was no longer frail as I'd last seen him. He was the strong leader StarClan had called in the old forest. I looked at him in awe. Never before in my short time as medicine cat had StarClan come to me. I'd only seen them at the Moonpool and we didn't talk for long.

"Fawnfur," Firestar meowed, his voice steady, not like I last remembered.

"Firestar," I bowed my head. "Why have you come?"

Firestar looked away, his eyes suddenly sad. For a long time he said nothing, just looked around his former camp. The squeaks of bats that flitted high overhead filled the silence. The rest of the ThunderClan camp was calm. No one was around or they slept in the dens. Then Firestar looked back at me.

"StarClan has one last message for you, Fawnfur," he meowed.

My ginger-brown ears went back. 'One last'? That sounded ominous. Was I going to die too?

"There are cats who want to destroy ThunderClan," he meowed, his eyes boring into mine. "They are both living and dead. If they are not stopped, ThunderClan will be no more and eventually the other Clans will fall. You are needed to stop the fraction of the living. StarClan is doing its own against the cats of the Dark Forest, but you have to stop the cats from this side from following the dead."

I stared at him. Me? I was supposed to do something? I was just the medicine cat! I'd become that to help everyone heal, not defend them or fight!

"Who is it?" I urgently asked. "Who is trying to destroy us?"

Firestar looked pained as he answered, "I cannot tell you. You are meant to figure it out on your own. But you will have help. Four warriors will help you. StarClan will contact them and once they find you, you must work together to stop ThunderClan from being destroyed."

"Who's going to help me?" I asked. "How am I supposed to stop ThunderClan being destroyed if you won't tell me who?"

Then I noticed he was fading away. His starlit fur was beginning to get see-through. I stared desperately at him, hoping he'd answer me.

Firestar looked worried and then suddenly spoke, "It is a cat close to you. Only you can stop it. The warriors are not from your Clan -"

_He was cut off, his mouth open as if to continue. His form disappeared completely and I was left alone in the dark. I stared at the ground where he'd been. There was no indentation where his paws had been. Even his smell was quickly fading. He'd been about to tell me something important but he couldn't. I'd always thought StarClan could choose how long they'd stay but in that moment, I had a feeling he'd been forced to leave. Someone hadn't wanted him to continue. The cats from this mysterious Dark Forest? StarClan?_

_**-Line to the present-**_

I shook my head as time rushed back to me. Jayfeather calmly waited for me to speak, already knowing what I'd done. He knew my powers as I knew his.

"It has to be someone in the Clan," I mewed, my voice shaky. "I don't have anyone close in the other Clans. I only know the medicine cats!"

"And no medicine cat in their right mind would try to destroy a Clan or go against StarClan," Jayfeather meowed, nodding. He sighed. "I'll try again. But I have a feeling whoever it is, knows how to hide from me. My mother, Leafpool, she was good at hiding her thoughts and I respected her not to search."

I knew he had a hard time talking about his real mother. At least I knew who my mother was, even if she was silent on who our father was. Sometimes I wondered if I ought to go back in time and check, but something always held me back. If I knew who he was, would I think less of Cinderheart? Or less of him?

"We'll both keep trying," I meowed.

He smiled at me and opened his mouth to say more, when I heard a yowl outside. My ears pricked and I tried to look around his shoulder. The entrance was not too far away, but the bright sunlight blocked my view.

Jayfeather quickly turned around, heading for the quarry. His whiskers and the familiar steps underpaw guided him. I quickly followed after, wondering if now we were being attacked. I would feel foolish if all my planning was for nothing.

Outside I looked down to see four unfamiliar cats in the center of camp, their paws on the dusty, bare, sunlit ground. Jayfeather stood beside me, his ears listening for what his eyes couldn't see. I could see fine. I saw a gray tabby tom with blue eyes who looked quite similar to my mentor. I could only blink in confusion. Then I remembered. I had seen him before. He and Brownfeather had helped me just two days ago. They'd helped me carry catnip from the abandoned twoleg nest right up to the ThunderClan camp. I watched him before turning to look at his companions.

A ginger she-cat with black paws and a white chest stood behind him, a yellowish-golden she-cat beside her, and huddled behind them a dark brown tabby with green eyes. They stood encircled by six of our warriors. Bramblestar stood on the Highledge, gazing down at the four with hardened amber eyes. I could tell he wasn't pleased.

"Why are you here?" he growled at them.

"We tried-"

"I only-"

"Lake-"

Their voices warbled around them as three of them tried to speak first. I couldn't make ears or whiskers of what they were saying. Their explanation didn't seem to coordinate very well. Obviously it had been some hare-brained idea of the four to come into our territory. If I sniffed, I could just catch a whiff of their scent from where I stood.

"ShadowClan," Jayfeather growled, his lip curled.

He was right. That's what they smelled like, but they also smelled like something else. Someone familiar. I looked again at Jayfeather and the light gray tabby in the group. Related. Then I realized. These were Fallingstar's kits. No wonder they'd seem similar. They had family in this Clan. I wondered what they were doing all the way from ShadowClan territory.

"Silence." Bramblestar yowled. He was probably tired of their bickering. After trying to talk to the ThunderClan leader, the ginger and the gray tabby had started hissing at each other in some disagreement. They quickly grew silence, eyes on Bramblestar.

"Pricklethorn, where did you find them?" Bramblestar asked the patrol leader.

The dark tom with even darker spots stepped forward from his warrior friends and quickly explained. "They were foxlengths over the border. The two she-cats and the brown tabby tom actually ambushed the gray tabby. It looked like they were trying to take him back over the border when we heard them arguing."

"Use their names please," Bramblestar interrupted. "I can't quite keep it straight."

Pricklethorn looked annoyed to be stopped in mid-explanation, but he quickly pointed out the cats with his tail. "Gray tabby is Lakefrost. Ginger she-cat is Mallowstalk. The yellow she-cat is Honeybee, and the dark tabby is Badgerface."

Bramblestar nodded like he already knew their names. He probably did, I realized. He had to keep track of who Fallingstar's kits were. They were part ThunderClan after all. Maybe he paid attention to who they were to see who would be dangerous to our Clan or want to join. I sure hoped these four didn't want to be ThunderClan. They'd make horrible warriors: crossing borders and arguing all the time. I wondered what ShadowClan had come to if they allowed warriors who still acted like apprentices to be in their Clan.

"As I was saying," Pricklethorn meowed. "Lakefrost had some freshkill with him, though he claims he caught it on the ShadowClan side of the border. By the time we found the four, they'd already torn it apart and blood was over him and the ginger."

I caught Mallowstalk glaring at Lakefrost and now that I looked, I could just make out dried blood on the two. Lakefrost had some on his belly and his throat and Mallowstalk had it on her face and paws. This tale was getting stranger.

"When they saw us, Honeybee and Badgerface looked like they'd run back over the border, but these two held their ground. We started to fight over the stolen prey and trespassing when Lakefrost said he wanted to speak with you and Nightshade about something Fallingstar wanted. So we had to bring them."

Pricklethorn looked at Bramblestar and it looked like the patrol leader didn't believe a word Lakefrost had even said. Bramblestar looked over at the senior warriors. Only a few looked thoughtful. The rest seemed amused and angry. After all, stolen prey was serious. It wasn't even during the middle of leafbare, where such an occurrence, though wrong, was still understandable. Right now prey was plentiful. Why would ShadowClan try to steal from us?

"Well, what is the news from Fallingstar?" Bramblestar addressed the gray tabby. "Why couldn't she tell me during the Gathering three days ago?"

Lakefrost looked up, his ears lowering a bit. I could just catch his fear scent. He hadn't thought through his lie very well, I thought. What a silly tom. He was just an impulsive kit.

"Well, it just came up and it couldn't wait for the next Gathering," the tom meowed, digging his grave just a bit deeper. How would he get his way out of this one? I wondered. The worst that could happen to him was Bramblestar letting his warriors fight them and chase them from our territory, the best would just hand them over to Fallingstar. Of course, maybe the four thought differently, I reflected. They'd also have to deal with punishment from Fallingstar and she could be harsher than Bramblestar. These warriors weren't lucky at all.

"And what is the message?" Bramblestar asked after Lakefrost dithered a bit more.

He glanced at his siblings, his eyes begging for help, but Mallowstalk glared at him and turned away. Honeybee looked down and Badgerface, who hadn't said a word at all or looked anyone in the face, continued to stare at the ground. Lakefrost swallowed and looked back up at Bramblestar, helpless. He looked around the walls at the other cats, his eyes skimming over me.

Suddenly he blinked and fell on the ground. I watched in surprise as he started shaking, his limbs twisting in the air, his eyes half closed as his tail thrashed. His siblings jumped away in surprise. Even ThunderClan scattered, the patrol leaping for the quarry walls. Once everyone realized Lakefrost wasn't attacking they calmed down.

Bramblestar looked down in shock and then looked over at the medicine cat den. I caught his eye and quickly hurried down, worried. What in StarClan's name would make a cat do this? Jayfeather hurried down with me and when we got to Lakefrost's side, I could see foam at the tom's mouth corners. His teeth were bared frighteningly, his eyes senseless. I tried to hold him down to examine him, but he just moved too much, struggling from my grasp.

Suddenly the ginger she-cat got in the way. She stood in front of her thrashing brother, blocking him from my sight.

"What are you doing?" Jayfeather demanded.

"Ignore him," Mallowstalk growled. "He's doing it for attention. He's just faking."

I blinked at her and wondered what she was talking about. How could any cat fake this fit?

"Move aside," Bramblestar growled. He'd jumped down from the ledge and stood by my side, growling at Mallowstalk. "Your brother could die. Let our medicine cats look at him."

"You don't understand," she meowed as two warriors pushed her out of the way.

Honeybee and Badgerface stared at Lakefrost in shock as if they didn't know what was going on. Honeybee had such a worried look on her face; I couldn't believe a word Mallowstalk had just said. No cat would fake this. He could die and Mallowstalk would have killed her brother for getting in our way. Already the gray tom was starting to slow down, his movements jerking, and his limps tense. I could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest as if he were exhausted. Jayfeather and I managed to get on top of him, holding him down. I could feel the twitching, taunt muscles beneath his fur and I pressed my nose against his neck.

Over the smell of the blood I concentrated on his heart. It beat rapidly, almost too fast for normal, his breathing just as ragged.

"What do you think?" I asked Jayfeather, the rest of the quarry falling away into nothing. It was just the three of us. We had to treat a patient.

"Poppy seed maybe," my mentor meowed back. "But that might just put him farther into shock."

"But what is it?"

"Falling sickness? Shaking sickness? White foam?" Jayfeather listed things. I hoped it wasn't the white foam disease. All cats went insane if one caught it. We could be next; we'd touched him after all.

Suddenly he stopped moving. The body under mine ceased heaving and I wondered if he'd died. But no. He was still breathing. His chest rose and fell and I, who laid on it, rose with him. I looked down at him and saw his closed eyes flickering. Was he sleeping? I sniffed his face, my whiskers tickling one of his white spots. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me in confusion. He twisted as if to get me off.

I quickly jumped off of him, standing on my own feet as I stared at him. Was he better? I looked over at Jayfeather. My mentor seemed as uncertain as me. The world came back and I could see cats standing on the quarry wall, peering outside of dens. Bramblestar stood nearby, waiting with Lakefrost's siblings.

When Lakefrost shakily got to his feet, he stared around him at the walls and wide eyes of the cats. His eyes finally rested on Bramblestar, but they seemed dazed.

"What was the message?" Bramblestar asked.

I stared at my leader. He'd just asked that? He could have asked any other question, but he was back on that one? He should have asked what that was all about, why had he come to the territory, why had he and his siblings disagreed.

"Message?" Lakefrost asked. He licked the saliva from his lips. He stared at his paws and I could tell he wanted to clean up but now was not the time in an enemy camp.

"What am I doing here?" the tom asked. He looked around at the quarry, staring at everyone. He looked intimidated. His ears and tail drooped, fear scent everywhere. I couldn't tell what was his or the rest of the Clan's.

Bramblestar frowned, a slight growl in his throat. He looked over at the siblings but each gave him a blank stare. They obviously didn't know about this message Lakefrost spoke about. This fake message.

"Lionblaze," the leader meowed, raising his voice. "Take these four back to ShadowClan and make sure Fallingstar gets her kits. Explain to her what happened."

Lakefrost's eyes widened but quickly dimmed as he twisted his head to look around.

"Whitewing, Sorreltail, Morningsong." Lionblaze flicked his tail and the cats he named quickly followed him, surrounding the three siblings. I watched my sister, who looked exactly like me, come down off of the quarry wall after visiting the elders. Her eyes were hard but attentive as she stood by Honeybee. I wondered how long it had been since I'd spoken with her. I really had to sometime now that I wasn't that busy.

Lionblaze started to escort Lakefrost to the group. The blue eyes flashed in my direction before returning to the ginger tom. Jayfeather suddenly cleared his throat. Bramblestar looked in our direction.

"Take Fawnfur," my mentor meowed. "He might start shaking again. She can go to make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

Bramblestar slowly nodded. I shot my mentor a glance. What did he think I could do? The last time we both didn't have any idea how to help the ShadowClan cat, so what did he want me to do this time? Point and laugh?

Jayfeather didn't seem to sense my glare as he turned away. His head turned to the nursery where some kits were squeaking in excitement, probably reenacting the event. I hurried after Lionblaze and the others as we left the camp. The gorse bush shook around us. I stayed near Lakefrost's side the whole way. He was shaky and limped a bit and seemed uncertain in the undergrowth. In fact all of the ShadowClan cats seemed uncertain. They made loud noises with every step, cracking twigs and other things, brushing against low leaves. No wonder they'd been caught so easily.

Lionblaze led us through the forest, Sorreltail near his side, Whitewing in the back with me, and my sister near the side. I walked along keeping an eye on my charge. He seemed all right now. Just a bit nervous. His eyes kept roving around, resting on me, going back to his paws, me, the sky, me, the trees. I was starting to get worried. Why was he giving me all this attention? When the ShadowClan border came I almost sighed with relief. Soon he wouldn't be mine to worry about. Flametail could take care of his Clanmate.

The border neared and Lakefrost got even more nervous. His tail flicked and his paws slowed. I wondered if he'd go into another fit. He glanced over at Whitewing. She looked at him and then back at his siblings. She was keeping an eye on us. I almost felt relieved. At least if he attacked I'd have another cat to help me.

"We have to talk," I heard him breathe out.

I could barely hear him. My ears flicked to him and I stared at his face. For once he refused to look at me. The sun glinted through the green tree leaves, slanting shadows down his face like an extra set of stripes.

"What?" I stared to ask.

"Quiet," he hissed almost silently.

I glared at him and whispered, "What are you talking about?"

"We have to talk sometime."

I stared at him. "Why? I don't want to talk to you. Stay in your territory this time!"

He looked over at me. His brow creased and he looked at a loss. He obviously wasn't sure what to do now. Then suddenly his blue eyes cleared.

"StarClan sent me," he whispered as if it were a big secret. He glanced at Whitewing. She stared at us. She probably heard our voices even if she wasn't sure what we were saying. I noticed how close I was walking to the gray tom, our pelts almost brushed. Of course we had to walk this way, I realized. How else was I supposed to hear what he said to me?

His breath felt warm on my ears. "Well?"

I leaned over to him, my whiskers on his face. "Fine."

And then we were at the border.

"Fawnfur," Lionblaze meowed.

I looked up and saw that our patrol had stopped. Sorreltail and Lionblaze looked at us and I moved away from the tabby tom.

"You can go back to camp," Lionblaze told me. "If Lakefrost passes out in ShadowClan territory, their medicine cat can take care of it."

I nodded in relief. I still wasn't sure I trusted Lakefrost, but he had said StarClan had sent him. I had to believe that, or at least listen to what he wanted to say.

I started walking away but then I realized. He hadn't said where we were supposed to meet. I stopped and looked back, but already they'd walked over the border. I saw his blue eyes flash at me as he turned to look. He must have thought the same. We'd have to meet somehow and somewhere. Before the next Gathering. Because that's when I ran out of time. Firestar had said so.

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**No one really voted on the poll I had on my profile. I guess I didn't give much warning, but I decided to pick Lakefrost having a seizure mixed with being caught by a ThunderClan patrol. It really worked. Hope you liked it.**


	15. Chapter 12 Sunstorm

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers:_ Nature Girl27, Northernlight24, Chat et Chocolate,_ and_ Darkness of the Eclipse

_So sorry about taking so long. Here's some chapters to keep you occupied until the next time I return._

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**Chapter 12**

After a while the way up the mountain became a bit easier. Though the clouds still reached down into the cats' fur, coating the world around them in hazy mists and rain, making the way muddy underpaw, Sunstorm could feel the slopes and see perhaps just a tail length in front of her. They traveled on a slightly narrow ledge that curled around the mountain, leading upward. They'd found that on the second day after scaling the narrow ledges in the cliff side. This ledge was more like a path, littered with bushes and other hanging plants. It was only a cat tail wide and not much to sleep on, but it was worth it.

Sunstorm couldn't see past the cloud cover. She couldn't see the ground anymore or the forest she'd left behind. She couldn't see the emerald green leaves or the golden waving grasses or the clear blue river and lakes. Sometimes she wondered what was so interesting about being on top of a mountain. The only color it came in was gray. Rocks were gray, with some mixing of brown, the air was gray, the plants were muted green to gray, and Feathertail was gray. Only her own ginger-brown pelt stood out in the gloom like some sort of beacon. She wondered if that was why they hadn't caught much prey in the last few days.

Her stomach growled hungrily at her, gnawing until her sides ached. She'd thought once she was dead she wouldn't feel that way, but she did. She wondered if it were possible to die again.

Feathertail's fluffy gray and silver form trotted ahead. Sunstorm got a good look at her back and the faint stripes there. Her paws were sure and straight on the muddy path and coated in the thickness. Sunstorm paused and looked at her own paws. The dusty grey mud clung to her, crawling slowly up to her belly. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. She did not want to clean that off. It would taste nasty.

"Hurry up," Feathertail called from the trail. Sunstorm looked and saw the path had started to curve. She couldn't see the rest of the mountain, just Feathertail clinging out there on a small ledge, her body outlined in faint glowing light.

She hurried forward to catch up and when she came to the bend, her eyes filled with brilliant sunlight. She blinked, wincing away. When her eyes recovered, she slowly opened them and gasped. Down below wide canyons opened up, jagged rocks slipping away into deep crevasses, yawning shadows. A few flat plains littered with boulders and struggling plants spread out on the sloping ground and peaks. Above this all, a great sun hung over the sky in bright yellow, the orb warming her pelt. Jagged mountaintops were only silhouettes in the light. The cloud cover slowly blew away, the last wisps curling and clutching the mountain peaks in a rosy colored sky. It was hauntingly beautiful.

"Almost there," Feathertail assured Sunstorm. "I bet you didn't think the Tribe's territory would be anything like this?"

She grinned at her companion.

Sunstorm just shook her head, captivated by the sight. She looked down off of the path and saw the mountainside leaning outward away from her, riddled with caves and one long winding path to disappear in to the lower clouds of mist. She couldn't see the ground she'd come from. And suddenly she could believe there was nothing in the world but the mountains. The rest of the sky territory was just a myth. There were no other Clans of dead cats anywhere. There was just the Tribe.

She shook her head, dizzy from the sight and thoughts. She looked back at Feathertail.

"This is. . ." she didn't have any words.

"Incredible," Feathertail finished. "I thought the same when I first looked at all this. A few days after I died, Silverstream and I made our way back to StarClan. It was nothing I'd ever seen in life and nothing you'll ever see again anywhere else in the sky."

Sunstorm believed her. "Are we close to the territory?"

"Very close," Feathertail nodded, starting to walk again.

Sunstorm quickly followed, finding it hard to take her eyes off of the sight, but also finding it difficult not to watch where she put her paws. She didn't want to fall after all. She glanced down again and thought she caught the glimpse of a shining river down below. The sun shone on her, spotlighting her against the mountain. Her fur quickly dried out, but so did the mud clinging to her paws and belly. It started getting heavy and flaking off. She followed her companion, impatient to get to the Tribe of Endless Hunting.

The sun started to disappear beyond the distant horizon when Feathertail hopped between two boulders. She pulled herself along the narrow path between the two large stones and Sunstorm peered inside to watch her. The ground sloped up under her, leading into a narrow strip of light. Sunstorm winced, trying to see through, but she couldn't make it out. Wherever the path led, it was to stay a mystery unless she crawled under there.

When Feathertail blocked the sunlight and hopped through the hole, Sunstorm quickly followed into the leaning boulders. The gray sides closed in around her, forcing her fur and body against itself. She found it hard to breath and her fur felt very warm. She started panting as she pulled herself along.

"Come on, you can do it," she whispered to herself, not getting enough breath to do otherwise. She swallowed and though her chest ached she continued on, her eyes only on the light ahead of her. By the time she pulled through, the cold air felt good against her pelt. She stood there, letting the constant wind blow over her as she looked around.

Feathertail was nowhere on the wide, flat land she found herself. Thick grass grew along the ground, mixed in with moss clumps. A few bushes popped up, round and light green. Not too far away, a steep cliff side jutted upward. She sighed, eyeing it. More climbing. She licked her hardened paw pads, wondering how the mountain cats had lived this way for so long.

"Feathertail?" she called out, searching for her companion, wondering if she'd been abandoned. Nothing moved in the open area. She sighed and realized she'd probably have to wait for the former RiverClan cat to come back. She was probably scouting the area or looking for food.

Sunstorm lay down on a nice piece of moss and started cleaning her belly fur. She was right; it did taste nasty. The dry clinging dust became mud in her mouth and she got really thirsty. She kept cleaning though. If they were meeting the Tribe, she wanted to be as neat as possible. The sky deepened to orange and dark blue as the sun sank somewhere in the sky.

She was still licking off her underside when she heard pawsteps.

_Good_, she thought, _Feathertail is coming back._

"Did you get anything?" she asked without looking.

"Yeah, you."

Sunstorm's head shot up. That wasn't Feathertail's voice. She turned and faced two toms. One was a long haired black and white the other a ginger and white tabby. She quickly stood up not liking the leer on their faces.

"Are you with the Tribe?" she asked, keeping her eyes between them.

"Those stiff-backs," the black and white growled. "No."

Sunstorm's eyes narrowed. Then who were they?

"What do you want?"

The toms shared a glance.

"You. You're on our territory."

Sunstorm growled and slid her claws out. "Not on your life."

They laughed. "We're over and done with that, Sweetheart. You ought to know."

The ginger tabby stepped away from the black and white. He started to walk around Sunstorm. She hissed. She couldn't let them get an advantage on her. She didn't wait for the ginger to stop. She jumped for him. He flinched, startled, and tripped. Sunstorm jumped over him, landing on the other side. While he was down, she struck for his head, digging in her claws.

He yowled in pain, struggling to get up. The black and white tom came to the other's rescue. Sunstorm was expecting him and quickly backed away, getting back on balance. The black and white tom jumped over his friend and faced Sunstorm. His claws came out and he quickly reared upward, trying to crash down on her.

Sunstorm snorted. These two didn't know how to fight at all. She stayed down and rushed forward. The tom looked triumphant as he quickly came downward, but that changed as Sunstorm dodged around him. She was behind him now and quickly pulled her front paw under his back legs, making him fall on his side.

The ginger tom was up, and though his head dripped blood, he bared his teeth, ready to face her. Sunstorm snapped at him, challenging. He rushed for her and she dropped to her side. Her paws caught his belly and she flipped onto her back and to her other side, slinging him over her so he landed on top of his companion.

The two toms struggled to get up, growling at each other and complaining. Just then Feathertail came back.

"What's going on here?" she demanded. Two pieces of prey rested by her front paws.

The toms got up and, glancing between the she-cats, quickly took off. They ran by Feathertail to the only piece of cliff side that looked climbable. The black and white tom ducked down and picked up the prey in his mouth.

Feathertail snarled at him. She struck out, catching her claws in his long fur as he passed by. The two toms were soon gone, clawing their way up the cliff to disappear into the higher mountains.

"Those fox-hearts," Sunstorm growled, looking up at the place they'd disappeared.

Feathertail glared too as she made her way back to Sunstorm. "I can't believe they stole our meal. What did they want?"

"To be annoying," Sunstorm sighed.

"They didn't look like Tribe," Feathertail replied when she stopped in front of Sunstorm, quickly nosing her friend for wounds.

"No, they definitely weren't," Sunstorm told her. The silver she-cat touched a sore spot and Sunstorm winced. She looked at her back but couldn't see any blood. The stones from the mountain had just dug into her pelt. She'd been lucky not to be injured.

"Did you get anymore prey?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," Feathertail assured her, the worried look on her face leaving. "I caught more. Let's get that."

While Sunstorm and Feathertail walked away from the grassy area, Sunstorm looked around, wondering if the two loners would be back. She hopped they wouldn't. She wanted a good night sleep before climbing some more.

_**-Line-**_

The next day the two she-cats traveled on a flat plain, cut through with dips and jutting rocks. There was a slight slope but it wasn't that much of a problem. Sunstorm could still make out a few higher mountain peaks around them and she wondered just how many mountains there were.

"How much farther?" Sunstorm asked. "It's been a month since we left the lake."

"Not much," Feathertail replied. "This area is familiar and I know we're getting close. I just don't want to go straight to their camp. It would be better to meet some than startle them."

Sunstorm paused. Yes, Feathertail had a point. They couldn't just walk into camp and expect to be welcomed. Though cats might recognize Feathertail in time, there had to be a lot of dead cats and no one could know everyone.

"So how do we find these Tribe cats?" she asked. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for something that resembled a camp. She could only see a few gray boulders and the small hills might be good to sleep next to, but there weren't a lot of cats here.

"They have to f-"

"Hey look!" Sunstorm lifted her head, looking at the horizon. "I can see cats."

Shadowed forms moved on a small ridge in a line.

"Let's catch up to them," she meowed.

She raced ahead of Feathertail. Just then a gray form rose up from the side of a boulder. It blocked her path, teeth white, and eyes golden. Sunstorm quickly stopped and growled, ready for a fight.

She glanced around, wondering where Feathertail had gotten too. The she-cat was somewhere behind her, surrounded by other gray-cat forms. They were surrounded by a patrol.

"Leave our land," the cat facing Sunstorm growled.

"Are you the Tribe of Endless Hunting?" Sunstorm meowed quietly.

The cat nodded, the stiff, odd fur cracking and flaking off. Sunstorm blinked. These cats were covered in mud! No wonder they had blended into the rocks.

"Then we've been looking for you!"

The yellow eyes narrowed.

"My friend and I," Sunstorm meowed, waving her tail at Feathertail who was brought forward, "we've been looking for you."

"Why?" the cat hissed.

"It's me, Feathertail, remember?" Feathertail spoke up. "We came to visit."

The patrol murmured.

"Feathertail," they sang, suddenly friendly. The tense tails lowered, the claws came in. Sunstorm even watched them do the little bow she'd heard so much about.

"We're sorry," the patrol leader meowed. "We thought you were the rogues. We've been having problems ever since they took the Tribe of Rushing Water's territory. Whenever they die, they come here and we chase them off."

"Then it was rogues we saw yesterday," Sunstorm meowed.

"You had problems?" a she-cat asked.

Feathertail nodded. "Sunstorm was attacked yesterday while I went hunting. She fought them off, but they were trouble."

The patrol nodded.

"Well did you want to come back to the waterfall with us?"

"Yes," Feathertail agreed. "I want to show Sunstorm all the cats and maybe teach her some new hunting skills."

"First," the patrol leader grinned. "You'll have to learn how to hide. Your fur is like fire."

Sunstorm wondered what he meant.


	16. Chapter 13 Lakefrost

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

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**Chapter 13**

"You acted foolishly and endangered yourselves and your Clan," Fallingstar hissed.

The gray and brown tabby she-cat sat on top of the Large Stump, her tail thrashing by her side. As it hit the peeling bark, Lakefrost felt his heart thump. He could tell she wanted to stand up and pace, but the ShadowClan leader could only sit still while her Clan looked onward.

"You crossed the border, stole prey, and lied to a Clan leader!" the she-cat continued. Her green eyes burned and Lakefrost wanted to hide. He didn't want to be sitting there in camp, surrounded by his Clan, his unhelpful siblings by his side.

Only a few heartbeats ago had seen the ThunderClan patrol off, back to their territory. They'd left the four young ShadowClan warriors in the camp after explaining what they'd found that morning. Lionblaze made sure to make Fallingstar aware how much ThunderClan had been bothered by the brash display of theft and how frightened they'd been when Lakefrost went into fits in the camp after claiming he had a message from Fallingstar.

"I didn't steal that mouse," Lakefrost mumbled, trying to defend himself as he met his mother's angry gaze. "I caught it on our land."

"ThunderClan doesn't know that," Fallingstar snapped. "They also wouldn't believe that if it is true."

Lakefrost's heart stung. She didn't believe him either. He glanced down.

"What were you even doing over there?"

There was silence. Lakefrost swallowed. She wanted his answer now.

"You killed it there and got blood on yourself. What exactly did you want to see ThunderClan for?"

Lakefrost could feel the eyes of his Clanmates. They watched him, wondering the exact same thing. Lakefrost wanted to tell them about the prophecy that StarClan cats had given him, but then they'd see him as helping ThunderClan even more; just like Mallowstalk did. Lakefrost felt a small bit of anger curl in his belly. His ginger sister was getting off lightly. Fallingstar seemed to know Lakefrost had planned it and that his sisters and brothers had just followed him across the border.

"What about you?" Lakefrost meowed, lifting his head. "You crossed borders before."

Fallingstar blinked. Lakefrost could hear the apprentices gasp.

"Don't compare my life with yours, Lakefrost," the Clan leader meowed quietly. "What I did has nothing to do with your own problems. I crossed borders yes, but not for the fun of it. Tell me what your reason is."

"You were trying to help ShadowClan-"

"I didn't know anything about their problems until after I joined the Clan."

"Well, I'm trying to help too."

"Help what? Are there problems in ThunderClan we aren't aware of?" She sounded dangerous. He tried to meet her eyes but they glinted down at him. She didn't believe him! She thought he was making excuses!

"I don't know," he meowed, lowering his head. He only heard they'd be destroyed but what type of answer was that? She would believe him even less. A Clan couldn't be destroyed, there had always been four and ever would be.

"You lie to us like you lied to ThunderClan," Fallingstar finally meowed when he didn't speak. "If you were any more bold, ThunderClan might have started a battle with us for stolen prey, just to make us realize we can't get away with things. And I agree. I'd do the same to them if one of their warriors came stealing ours. Luckily they've given us a warning."

The Clan murmured.

"Now I want to hear what your sisters and brother have to say."

Fallingstar turned to Mallowstalk. His siblings shared a glance and finally Mallowstalk stood up.

"We'd heard Lakefrost was going to cross the border and we felt we had to stop him. We just got there and tried to take him back when the ThunderClan patrol ambushed us and dragged us to their camp."

"And what about that stolen mouse?" Fallingstar asked.

"It was our own," Mallowstalk meowed.

"And where did you hear that Lakefrost would cross the border?"

Mallowstalk paused, her tail twitching anxiously. "Badgerface overheard him saying he wanted to meet with someone."

The Clan murmured some more as Fallingstar's eyes rested on her son.

"You wanted to meet with someone?" she growled.

Lakefrost avoided her eyes. He wouldn't explain. He'd just dig himself a deeper grave if he tried to make them understand he only wanted to see Fawnfur. But she was a she-cat and a medicine cat and from ThunderClan. They would imagine all sorts of situations that were all untrue. Lakefrost only wanted to talk to her about the prophecy StarClan had given him. She was the fawn in the prophecy. They had to find what would destroy her Clan.

"All right. If that is that case, Lakefrost, you are banned from going to the next three Gatherings. You are also banned from patrolling or walking anywhere near the ThunderClan border. And you will take care of the elders for a half moon. If you are caught breaking these rules, you will be forced to live with the apprentices for a moon and a half."

"But, Fallingstar," Lakefrost tried to protest. He had to go there. He had to meet with Fawnfur.

"No buts." She sighed and her eyes softened. "I'm not trying to be cruel, Lakefrost. I'm trying to prevent trouble between our Clans. I don't want any more kits to be born half-Clan or Clans having to lose valuable members."

"But I'm not-"

"You might not feel that way now," she meowed, "but if I let this continue, you might just break more code rules, cross more borders, and your feelings might grow to something more than friendship. Now please, try to behave this moon."

She jumped off of the Large Stump. The rest of the Clan quickly dispersed. Sunhigh was fading fast and they had things to do. Only a few cats glared at Lakefrost before walking off. Mallowstalk stayed though, and Honeybee and Badgerface with her. He looked at them before turning away.

"What about Mallowstalk?" Lakefrost quickly growled, standing up as his mother neared. "She followed me across the border too!"

Mallowstalk glared at him. Fallingstar stopped and faced him.

"From what the ThunderClan cats told me, she was really trying to stop you. She didn't intend to go across the border and cause trouble. She was trying to prevent it."

_So was I, _Lakefrost thought bleakly.

"Now go see Flametail."

"But I'm not sick," Lakefrost muttered.

Fallingstar narrowed her eyes. "And that fit you did in the ThunderClan camp?"

"A lie," he whispered. "I had to get us out of there."

Fallingstar sighed and shook her head. "What kind of a son did I raise?"

"Fallingstar-"

She walked off, ignoring anything else he might have to say. He could only watch her, his heart sinking. He was trying to do so much good, but no one would help him or believe him. It seemed pointless or that even StarClan was against him.

"You see," Mallowstalk meowed, nearing. "Doing this isn't worth the effort. No one will let us help ThunderClan. They see it as betrayal."

"You're the one stopping me," Lakefrost growled. "If we hadn't started to fight then that ThunderClan patrol would have just taken me to Fawnfur for my 'injuries'."

Mallowstalk eyed his throat where the mouse blood had long since dried. Her own fur wasn't much better. She'd destroyed the evidence as much as she could before the ThunderClan patrol showed, rubbing blood onto her fur so Lakefrost wouldn't stand out. She'd helped him even as she was determined he didn't succeed.

"Clean up," she told him. "Then take care of the elders. That should keep you occupied until this all blows over."

She stared walking away, Honeybee and Badgerface trailing after. Lakefrost tried to catch their eyes, but they didn't look at him. Their tails remained low, their faces twisted with guilt.

"When this blows over," Lakefrost muttered, staring at them, "ThunderClan won't be there anymore. Why can't you see that?"

_**-Line-**_

A quarter moon quickly passed by and Lakefrost stuck to camp, caring for the elder Oakfur. His care freed the apprentices to do more hunting and battle practice. Ashpaw seemed pleased about that and started talking to Lakefrost again, seeming to forgive the warrior for almost hurting him that one day. Wrenpaw was silent, going about her business, but Bluepaw couldn't help but joke about it, teasing Lakefrost whenever she saw him.

"Going to get mousebile for Oakfur?" she purred. "I heard those ticks were clinging hard this season. Almost as hard as the Clan's keeping their eye on you!"

She giggled and raced off after Dappleflower. Lakefrost glared after her. He could hear Dappleflower scolding her apprentice for disrespect, but when he turned away, he could feel her eyes on him. Bluepaw was right. The Clan was keeping an eye on him. That was one reason he hadn't left camp. He didn't want them seeing him go to ThunderClan.

He had to get there. He'd made Fawnfur promise to see him, but now that he had her agreement and trust, he wasn't able to even visit. He couldn't talk with her about the prophecy or StarClan or how he was even supposed to help. It was frustrating.

He grumbled and continued his walk to the medicine cat den to get the mousebile. On the way back out, he ran into Knotfur.

"Sorry," he muttered, his teeth clenched on the twig holding the moss drenched in mousebile. It smelled awful, stinging his eyes.

"It's okay," she meowed. Her yellow eyes looked at him in sympathy. "Do you need help?"

Lakefrost felt somewhat lighter. At least someone was being friendly. After his punishment was announced, most of the Clan avoided him or gave him dirty looks. Mallowstalk had tried to speak with him, but Lakefrost was so angry with her, he'd ignored his sister. Honeybee and Badgerface also tried to be friendly, but after being ignored, they'd faded off, sticking with their ginger sister. Lakefrost believed that because they'd helped her, they weren't worth trusting anymore. It seemed he was the only one who wanted to help ThunderClan. Maybe that was why StarClan had spoken to the four of them, determined to make sure at least one cat would help.

Knotfur smiled and led the way to the elder's den.

"I was wondering if you'd go on patrol with me after this," she meowed.

"Not to the ThunderClan side, I hope," he meowed.

"No way," she protested. "I wouldn't do that to you. Fallingstar would have my tail next if I did that."

Lakefrost had to smile. She was probably right. If anything, Fallingstar tended to punish those who deserved it. Him the exception of course. But everything had pointed to him being the one at fault. He just wished he couldn't have explained things to his mother better. There were so many things he could have done instead.

"I'll go," he agreed.

"Okay, we're hunting."

"Sounds good."

They got to the elders' den and quickly entered the bushes.

Later, Knotfur, Lakefrost, and Scorchtree stood near the RiverClan border just before the twoleg-greenleaf-place. Lakefrost could hear the twoleg kits screaming and laughing through the trees.

"Okay, so we'll split up here," Knotfur meowed. She glanced at Lakefrost to see if he agreed.

The gray tabby tom nodded. He didn't see any reason to object, though he had thought Knotfur would want to hunt with him. Scorchtree left first and after a slow blink, Knotfur disappeared into the trees. Lakefrost was alone.

He glanced around, making sure no one else was around, and ran off. He wasn't going to waste this opportunity. He did feel bad that he wouldn't catch a lot of prey. He just had to make it back in time before Knotfur realized he was missing.

When he got to the ThunderClan side of camp, Lakefrost started to walk cautiously. Though there wasn't much undergrowth to make a lot of noise, it made it harder to hide. He used the shadow walking technique the ShadowClan cats knew, and slunk to the border. His ears and eyes were alert, trying to spot his Clan before they spotted him. He found a garlic patch and quickly rolled in it, hiding his scent before continuing.

The trees grew closer together, ferns and flowers appearing on the ground as the pines faded behind into oak, maple, and beech. He could smell the scentmarkers, recently remade, as he approached the border. He stood along the edge in the shadow of the trunk, peering over. Did he even dare do this a second time? What would ThunderClan do if they caught him?

Lakefrost looked over his shoulder, searching for his siblings. He hoped they weren't there. They would ruin things for him again. He also hoped there weren't any patrols. He'd have to hurry to get back to Knotfur, and pray he caught something on the way and came up with a good excuse why he didn't have more.

He licked his lips and quickly crossed. His shoulders were hunched, his belly low to the ground as he walked along the border, making sure to stay near in case he had to hop to the other side.

"Please be near," he whispered. Hopefully Fawnfur hadn't given up on him yet and still expected him to show and talk with her. He walked away from the lake along the border to the other twoleg-greenleaf-place. The one where the strange creatures slept beneath shining pelts and sat around fires.

As he neared, the border curved around the small clearing toward an abandoned twoleg dwelling. Lakefrost could see it through the trees. Bushes growing near the sides. Large vines trailing over the stones, the roof caved in, gaping holes along the sides. If anything, it was worth investigating. He and Brownfeather had seen Fawnfur gathering catmint there one day before the Gathering and tried to help her take them back to the ThunderClan camp. Maybe she was here again.

Lakefrost approached, his ears twitching. He entered the dark of the building and sniffed around. His garlic fur wasn't helping.

"Whew, if I couldn't see you, I'd sure smell you."

Lakefrost turned and saw her sitting in the dark corner by the large square hole he'd entered by. He smiled at the ginger-brown tabby. Two white fleck on her ear stood out, defining her from her sister Morningsong.

"Hello," he meowed.

"Hi," she meowed, her eyes suddenly lowered. Then they quickly rose. "I've been waiting by the border for a quarter moon! Where have you been? When you said you wanted to talk, I expected you to be here sooner!"

Now Lakefrost avoided her eyes. "Fallingstar punished me. I can't visit the ThunderClan side of the territory for another quarter moon. I also have to go soon. I'm supposed to be on a hunting patrol on the other side."

Fawnfur's eyes widened. "You just got here!"

"I know," he sighed. Frustrated. "But I'll come back. I promise. But I have to go before they find me missing. I also have to catch something on the way. But meet me here again later tonight. I promise we can talk then. I just wanted to make sure you'd still be waiting."

"I'll be there."

They nodded to each other and Lakefrost quickly left the dwelling. He was surprised when Fawnfur followed him. He glanced at her.

"At least tell me why we need to talk," she meowed, looking at him in confusion.

"StarClan came to me and my siblings a quarter moon ago," he explained as they neared the border. "They told me that-" now he tried to remember the exact words, "that we had to stop the morning and the evening from destroying the thunder. They said that the four and the fawn would stop it."

He watched her eyes widen. "So that's why you came to me," she mewed.

He nodded.

"Now, I really have to go," he meowed. They'd reached the border, the scents of ShadowClan strong.

"You better be there," she told him.

He smiled at her and stepped over the border. As he went, he came face to face with another cat.

The small gray tom stared at him, blinked, and then looked at Fawnfur. Ashpaw gazed back at Lakefrost, a look of hurt on the apprentice's face.

"Ashpaw," Lakefrost wondered if he could get the tom not to tell anyone what he'd seen.

The apprentice didn't give him the chance. He turned around and ran for camp.

"Foxdung!" Lakefrost spat, his claws digging into the ground. He looked over at Fawnfur. "I don't think we'll be seeing each other very soon."

"But we only have a moon, Lakefrost," she protested.

"A moon for what?"

Now it was Fawnfur's turn to look horrified. Out from the undergrowth a long silver tom emerged. His large white face stood out, resembling the bird he'd been named after.

"Owlface," Fawnfur tried to meow, but the ThunderClan tom interrupted her.

"I see you're back again," Owlface growled, walking up to Lakefrost, his claws coming out. "Stay away from our she-cats or you're crowfood!"

He hissed and rushed forward. Lakefrost didn't take the time to stick around. He raced away into the ShadowClan territory, hoping it might be possible to catch up to Ashpaw. He glanced back, making sure Fawnfur was all right. He highly doubted the warrior would do anything to his own medicine cat, but something hadn't seemed right.

Lakefrost shook his head. He had enough problems of his own. He had to get Ashpaw before Fallingstar got the chance to punish him again.


	17. Chapter 14: Fawnfur

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _Chat et Chocolat _and _Goldenstream

* * *

**Chapter 14**

His face stood out in my mind. Disappointment shining in his blue eyes as he stared at us before leaving. I watched Ashpaw race away into the ShadowClan territory. The tall, dark pines swallowed the gray tom. I was in shock that he'd seen us, that he'd been able to sneak up on us. It hadn't looked like it was on purpose, that he'd only stumbled on us while hunting, but it still meant trouble.

"Foxdung!" Lakefrost spat, his claws digging into the ground.

I saw him glance at me, apology in his eyes. "I don't think we'll be seeing each other very soon."

"But we only have a moon, Lakefrost," I protested. If so much of our time was taken up by trying to talk, we'd never save ThunderClan in time.

"A moon for what?"

I looked up in horror- Lakefrost hadn't asked that question. I turned to the ThunderClan side of the border where the voice had come from and watched a long haired silver tom with a white face walk out from the undergrowth. The ferns and bright yellow flowers shook in his passing.

"Ow-," I tried to say his name, but he interrupted me.

"I see you're back again," my Clanmate growled at Lakefrost. I saw his claws come out, his stance more challenging. His thick tail thrashed behind him. "Stay away from our she-cats or you're crowfood!"

Owlface hissed and rushed forward. I held my breath, frightened. Lakefrost couldn't stay here! A fight would attract attention and he could get hurt.

Lakefrost seemed to feel the same. I watched the ShadowClan tom run over the border. He quickly disappeared into the trees after Ashpaw and I felt relief. It didn't last very long.

"Fawnfur," Owlface snapped, turning on me. His claws came in, but the angry look didn't leave his wide face.

"What are you doing meeting with him? He's a trespassing ShadowClan warrior!"

"I know," I replied, glancing down at the ground between by front paws, thinking of an excuse. "He just needed supplies for his Clan."

"And why wasn't Flametail with him?" Owlface demanded.

"He was busy," I meowed.

"And he let Lakefrost come here?" he hissed.

I nodded mutely, praying that Owlface would just let it drop. That he'd just accept my word for it.

"I will have to tell Bramblestar," Owlface meowed, looking up into the leaves. "ShadowClan is growing too bold."

"No," I protested a bit too quickly.

I watched his eyes narrow.

"Fawnfur," he breathed out. "You can't really be. . .?"

"Of course not, don't be silly," I tried to laugh. "I'm a medicine cat. If I can't see you than I certainly wouldn't see him."

Owlface blinked. I could suddenly see him thinking, judging, finding a weakness in my words. My belly felt sick.

"I won't tell Bramblestar about this meeting or the one tonight, if. . .," he watched me, "if you promise you will stay with me. I want you to spend time with me and not avoid me, but go on patrols with me. Invite me with you when you look for herbs. Hunt with me."

He waited. I swallowed. So that's what he wanted. Owlface still wanted to be my mate and he would do what it took to get me, even lie for ShadowClan. I really didn't want to do this. I didn't want to be with Owlface. It would keep giving him the wrong idea, making him think he even still had a chance to be my mate.

But I couldn't sacrifice this meeting or the one tonight. I had to see Lakefrost. No one else could know about it. If the rest of my Clan thought I was meeting with him, they would think the same thing Owlface was: that I loved Lakefrost. The only cat who really believed me that our Clan was in danger was Jayfeather. Even if the two of us tried to explain to Bramblestar, he might not believe us. Or he would believe us and our Clan would became paranoid, searching for the unknown, unseen threat. If we told him and he told the Clan, it would warn the cats who were trying to destroy ThunderClan we knew about them. They would become more cautious and harder to stop. I had to agree to Owlface's demand.

"All right, Owlface."

He smiled at me, suddenly very happy. He put his tail on my back and quickly led me from the border. I glanced over my shoulder where Lakefrost had disappeared.

. . . but I would only agree until the problem had passed. After ThunderClan was saved, Owlface couldn't get away with this anymore.

We walked to the ferns and tall grass, the thick trunks of the trees leading up to the sky, the green leaves rustling in a sudden wind as we made our way back to camp.

_**-Line-**_

Later that night I snuck into the twoleg den, the sun just sinking behind the WindClan horizon. Through the cracks in the floor and the ceiling overhead I could see the pale orange sky. I knew the moon, hiding behind the trees, was almost full, waning as slices disappeared each night.

Tufts of grass poked through the stones underpaw, mice squeaked from holes in the walls, and birds settled down for the night in the level above. I wasn't interested in hunting just yet; I'd eaten back at camp just before coming here to the border, waiting for Lakefrost. Owlface was out in the night shrouded forest, pretending to hunt with me. He'd go back to sleep later, hopefully making an excuse for the night guard if I didn't show by moon high.

He'd promised to do this for me tonight. I felt grateful to him that he'd allow me to meet with the ShadowClan tom this once. Hopefully all my questions would be answered now, no more hiding and sneaking, not sure who I was supposed to look out for or who my help was. This sunhigh had hardy been enough time, but I knew I had to trust Lakefrost. He was the one StarClan had lead me to. Him and his siblings. The four I was waiting on who would help me against our unknown enemies. I believed he knew more than me. He held the secrets, perhaps the who and the what that wanted to destroy ThunderClan. We just had to meet and finally talk about it.

As I sat down in a corner on the cold stone, keeping my eyes on major openings, I thought about that day. Lakefrost came to me, glad I was there and then had to leave right away. I hoped he'd caught up to Ashpaw. The apprentice could cause troubles for us and if Lakefrost was already punished once, I didn't want to think what the other one would be for crossing into our territory uninvited again. I had invited him of course, but Fallingstar might not see it that way. Only deputies and leaders, and on occasion the medicine cat, had the real power. I was only an apprentice still, despite all I'd been through.

"We really need to be more specific on the time," I muttered to myself, gazing through the crack overhead. The silver-white stars had already started appearing in the blackness. I had no idea how long I'd have to sit there, waiting for Lakefrost. Luckily it wasn't a cold night. Greenleaf had its advantages.

Time passed slowly for me as I waited there in the dark. The mice didn't settle down but seemed to grow more active. They were wary, slinking cautiously in the twoleg nest, catching my scent with their little noses. The moon slowly filled the gaps above, shining down on me and illuminating leaves and moss. Still I sat, waiting for the ShadowClan tom.

Storm clouds gathered overhead later in the night, hiding the moon and the stars. The air felt colder and then the gentle rain started, drops striking the leaves, falling to the ground. I tiredly stared out the opening, watching the rain darken the ground, weighing down the undergrowth. Drops whizzed by me, entering the dwelling. I was reminded of my warrior's vigil; the picture entered my mind unbidden . . .

_**-Line to past-  
**_  
_The rain struck the ground in front of us before flying into the air again, landing on Morningsong's paw. She shook it out, her eyes narrowed. I knew she wanted to speak, to say something about the rain. But we couldn't. We were meant to keep our silence as we protected our Clan that night, all alone. This once I wished one of our gifts included mindspeak or mind reading. It would have been useful. However we knew each other too well that we didn't need to speak. As kits we'd learned to speak at the same time, frightening the warriors and even getting Cinderheart to stare at us oddly. As apprentices we'd grown apart, yet as new warriors we were together again. No one could ever separate us._

I looked over at Sunstorm. My sister gazed up at the clouds as more drops came down through the bare tree limbs, striking the small green buds and flowers. The air felt like ice, but warmed with the cloud covering. She smiled, seeming to say, "I knew this would happen."

I smiled too. Of course she would. She could see the future after all. She must have known this night would come that Firestar would make us warriors together in this peaceful time. I wondered how long she'd kept it to herself. Yet I'd seen her gaze longingly at the warrior's den often enough this past moon.

My sister met my eyes, opening her jaws. Morningsong's tail landed in her mouth. Sunstorm spat it out and nodded in acceptance. Instead of speaking, she moved closer to me, huddling by my side. Morningsong quickly took my other side as the rain increased. We would sit through it this night. No matter how long it was until morning, I told myself.

Soon the rain came pouring down. My ears lowered with the weight, our ginger-brown pelts flattening and turning darker brown. It was miserable. I wished the warriors or even Firestar would invite us inside to a better place for a vigil. It hardly seemed fair. All the warriors I knew hadn't held vigil in the rain. Snow yes, even wind, and on occasion during daylight, but not in the rain.

I shook my head, the water scattering from my head before settling back down. I had to think of something else and not how annoying this was.

_Fawnfur. My new name slid through my mind and I felt my heart swell. I loved my name._

_**-Line to present-**_

I smiled again. That had been our happiest moment together that early newleaf, although a leafbare chill had swept through the forest later and snow once again covered the ground for one moon more. We had stayed together often, each preparing for the day Sunstorm would become deputy, as she'd once seen as a kit. Then she died and all our plans failed.

I sighed, the pleased feeling leaving me. So much had changed since the ceremony.

My eyes started to drift, my mind wandered. My head started to nod and I didn't know when I fell asleep. I woke up when the rain stopped. My ears lifted, my eyes opening. I looked around. Nothing. No one. He wasn't coming, was he?

_**-Line-**_

"Come on, Fawnfur," Owlface called. He stood by the entrance, his legs shifting in impatience.

"He has no sense of subtly," Jayfeather rumbled, his sightless eyes gazing in the warrior's direction. "His thoughts are also very loud. All filled with you."

I felt my ears grow warm. I swallowed and meowed, "I'm sorry, Jayfeather."

"No, I understand," my mentor answered. "I couldn't see another way out of this mess. Bramblestar and the rest aren't ready to hear. I have a feeling the enemy StarClan warned us about isn't something normal warriors can handle."

"Have they spoken with you?"

He shook his head and I looked away. We stood by the fresh-kill pile speaking while the rest of the Clan slowly awoke around us.

"Not yet," my mentor meowed. "I hope that tomorrow night they will."

I remembered that the half-moon was the next night. A whole quarter moon had passed since I'd last seen Lakefrost. He hadn't ever shown that night and I had to realize he never would. He'd been caught. What else was I to think? He'd warned me that day, but bitter thoughts filled my mind that perhaps he was avoiding me now. All his trouble came from visiting me.

Since a quarter moon ago I was never able to get back to the border. Owlface took all my time. Inviting me to hunt with him, patrol, go with me when I went to get herbs, though I never did collect any, the storage cleft was so full. I knew the Clan had to notice his attention and I had to come up with many excuses to justify our being together. I was starting to think it wasn't working.

"Come on, Fawnfur," Owlface meowed.

"Go before he wakes up the whole Clan," Jayfeather nudged me.

"Hopefully I can lose him before sunhigh," I muttered, starting to walk away.

"I'll send Frostshine or someone to take him away on a patrol," he promised.

"Thank you," I smiled at him. When I couldn't do something for myself, he was there to help. Besides, Owlface didn't realize I informed my mentor of everything. If this didn't work, then I would ask him to go to Flametail to talk about something- and meet with Lakefrost. For now, I would take my opportunity away from Owlface to find my ShadowClan helper.

I walked to the entrance, the shadows from the quarry covering my back and hiding the warm sun from us. When we left the camp, the trees only let through glancing beams from the ShadowClan direction.

"We're going to hunt near WindClan," Owlface meowed. "Maybe we can catch a few rabbits."

"Shouldn't we leave that for the apprentices?" I asked.

"We might just see them," he purred back, pressing his side against mine. I felt my fur prickle where he touched. I wanted to pull away, but I had to keep my promise so he'd keep his. "Yesterday, Ivyflight said she'd take Meadowpaw to the border," he continued.

"Good," I mewed. As long as we weren't alone together. I didn't know how far he'd go then. How far he'd push me, threatening to reveal Lakefrost's crossing to Bramblestar to get me to do something else for him.

We did hunt that day. I'm not that bad. I don't get much practice as a medicine apprentice. I'd also slacked on battle training, but I still knew how to fight since I used to be a warrior. I wasn't defenseless as some cats might think. But my mind wasn't completely on hunting, I kept waiting for my rescue.

Sunhigh did come eventually and so did three cats from the bushes: Frostshine, a silvery-white she-cat with a limp; Nightshade, Frostshine's black brother with two long scars down his chest and front legs; and Firesong, an older ginger warrior.

"Owlface, " Nightshade called. "Come on a patrol with us! We'll help you carry the fresh-kill back to camp and then go to the border."

Owlface hesitated. "Can Fawnfur come too?"

"StarClan no," Frostshine laughed. "She's a medicine cat. They don't need to go on patrols. go on, Fawnfur, get out of here. I'm sure you have things you'd much rather be doing right now."

She smiled at me and her words, which seemed harsh, made me grateful. I quickly nodded and left. I could feel Owlface's eyes on me as I left. I didn't look back, hoping he would just join the patrol and not follow me at the soonest opportunity.

I seemed to walk in the direction of camp, to dissuade interest if a cat was following, knowing that Owlface and the others would be by after digging up the prey. However the camp was only my halfway point. I had to make it to the ShadowClan border.

_**-Line-**_

I hid beneath the ferns, a gorse bush to my right and a black berry bush to my left. I could smell the sharp pine-scent of ShadowClan in front of me, only fox lengths away. A bare stretch scattered with a few ferns and bushes waited for me before I hit the scent markers.

"I can do this," I muttered to myself, staring at it. Lakefrost had crossed many times already. Why was I too mouse-hearted to even try? I had to find him somehow. It wasn't likely he'd come to me anymore. Not with his Clan watching his every move, waiting for him to cross. I'd seen a few cats walk by already since I'd been sitting by the border. They passed by, not scent marking, but keeping their eyes on our border. I recognized that they were guarding. Making sure no one entered or left the territory. I could almost think they were doing something dangerous like all the old stories say they did. That they'd kill any intruder or witness, no matter how accidental. It made me nervous to even try going over. What would happen if they caught me? Would they think ThunderClan was attacking?

I swallowed. I just had to do this. I slowly stood up, watching for movement, sniffing for fresh scents. Nothing. I walked from my covering, my brown-ginger fur creased as the branches leaned down on me. The sun glinted on my stripes and I felt warm. I slowly walked forward, my eyes darting side to side. My muscles were tense as I waited for the opportunity to dive back into cover, either into the bushes or back to the thick undergrowth behind me.

Then I heard the movement. I froze, my eyes on the ShadowClan side. Suddenly I couldn't move. My legs were locked and I was almost at the border. Should I go over and pray they didn't see me, or run back and try again after they'd left? I didn't have enough time to decide.

The forms came around the tree line, around the few bushes and vines, nearing. I recognized the lead cat by her ginger fur. She spotted me and her golden eye's narrowed.

"You," Mallowstalk hissed, flattening her ears. "What are you doing here?"

Honeybee and Badgerface seemed to loom on either side of her, their eyes watching me.

I lowered, my belly on the ground, my ears against the side of my head. I was outnumbered and at fault. Even a mouse could see that. I wished there was a mouse nearby so I could claim I was hunting. But Mallowstalk knew I wasn't.

"I came to see Lakefrost," I mewed quietly. Perhaps she was shocked at my honesty, but she recovered quickly.

"Go back," she growled. "You've caused enough trouble."

I looked over at her companions, wondering if they felt the same. Honeybee, the golden she-cat couldn't meet my eyes but she didn't seem as worried as in our camp. I believed she felt the same as Mallowstalk: that I was causing Lakefrost all the trouble, getting him punished for no reason. Badgerface, the brown tabby brother, just looked confused, his green eyes bewildered. There were no other cats and I realized I was in the presence of Lakefrost's siblings. Alone.

"I haven't caused anything," I meowed firmly, forcing myself to rise. I was still on my border, they could not attack me.

"My Clan already thinks you and Lakefrost have been meeting secretly," Mallowstalk meowed.

I tried not to twitch an ear. We had of course. There wasn't any other way. We didn't have time to wait until the next Gathering.

"They think you're mates," Mallowstalk meowed bluntly when I didn't react.

Now I blinked. "You're joking."

Honeybee shook her head. "Ashpaw saw you two. He came back as fast as he could and told Fallingstar what he'd seen. Lakefrost wasn't long in coming back. He'd already been punished for going over your border and stealing prey. He wasn't supposed to be there again."

"So now he has to sleep with the apprentices and isn't allowed out of camp without an escort," Mallowstalk meowed. "No one wants to even be with him."

"And he won't listen to us. We're the only ones who are willing to be by his side, but he won't let us help him," Honeybee meowed. She seemed angry now. Her ears up straight, her nose wrinkled, and her teeth bared. I felt my own fur fluff up in reaction.

Mallowstalk brushed her tail down her sister's side. "He shouldn't be ignored by our Clan. It's wrong and we know it isn't his fault. He shouldn't have even been over here if he wasn't so determined to meet with you."

"Then explain-"

"We can't explain anything," Mallowstalk hissed, her claws out. "Exactly like you can't. No one would believe us."

I blinked. So she _was_ aware of the prophecy. Lakefrost was right. These siblings were the four I was supposed to be working with. But here Mallowstalk was, not offering her help. Not like Lakefrost had.

"Then why aren't you helping me?" I meowed quietly. "My Clan is in danger and you are the only ones that can help."

Mallowstalk's eyes widened. I heard Honeybee gasp and Badgerface let out his breath.

"No," Mallowstalk meowed back. "ThunderClan can handle its own problems. You wouldn't appreciate it."

I looked to see what her siblings thought. A guilty look crossed their faces.

"But we'll be killed," I whispered. "I'd rather be saved and in debt then die. I know my Clanmates feel the same. Even if I was the only one to know, I'd appreciate it."

Mallowstalk snorted. "You don't understand. We're half ThunderClan. If we help you, then we'll be betraying our own Clan. ShadowClan is put first before all others. Why should we help you? If ThunderClan was gone, we'd all be better off."

I gasped, staring at her. She met my eyes, a cold look on her own. I glanced at the others; they didn't even look at me. I knew then even if they didn't completely feel the same as Mallowstalk, they'd side with her only because they didn't see a reason not to. I knew cats like these. They were the followers. Mallowstalk was their leader. Lakefrost had the same qualities, but he held a different position. His siblings might agree with him somewhat, but Mallowstalk made much more sense to them, so they'd follow her and not him.

I suddenly knew, it was her, this ginger she-cat I had to convince. I had to make her see why saving my Clan was important, why she should help me. If I had her on my side, the others would help too.

But how was I supposed to convince her, a cat who was so much against me, believing that I'd ruined her brother?

* * *

**Check out** AlliKatNye's** youtube account. She made a new video and this one is about Bluestar's Prophecy. It's really good, just like her one about Scourge and Firestar.**


	18. Chapter 15: Sunstorm

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewer: _Darkness of the Eclipse

* * *

**Chapter 15**

The first order of business: roll in some mud. Sunstorm felt uneasy as the Tribe cats led her to the side of a river in the long plateau. Thick mud lined the banks of the water. She felt disgusted by what they wanted her to do. She had to roll in this to cover her fur and hide her fiery pelt. It was gross. She'd just managed to get the stuff off her paws yesterday, thinking she had to look neat for the Tribe. Here they were telling her it was necessary.

"It helps us blend," Moss on a Gray Stone, or Moss, insisted. The she-cat introduced herself when the patrol started back to the Tribe of Endless Hunting's camp. Sunstorm wasn't sure if Moss was a gray or green cat. The mud effectively hid the she-cat's true colors.

"But how do I get it off later?" Sunstorm meowed. Then her eyes widened. What if they never took it off?

"What is it?" Moss asked.

"Do you even take the mud off?"

Moss laughed at Sunstorm's reaction. Sunstorm watched cracks appear in the stiff fur. No wonder the rogues called the Tribe stiff-backs. They did look it.

"We take it off at camp," Moss answered after she stopped giggling. "There's a still, lower pool used for cleaning."

Sunstorm nodded and watched as Feathertail got onto the mud. The gray she-cat used her claws to steady herself on the slippery surface. She lay down and started rolling.

"Feathertail is accustomed with this," meowed the patrol leader, Shadow from the Bat. "Just do as she does."

Sunstorm nodded again and paid attention as Feathertail smeared the mud onto her fur and rubbed her face against the ground. The dusty gray covered her until she looked like a stone made alive. When Feathertail got out of the mud, Sunstorm stepped forward.

"Remember to hold your breath," Feathertail meowed.

_I know,_ Sunstorm wanted to snap back._ I'm not mouse-brained._ She didn't want to breathe in that stuff. She quickly walked to the river. The mud felt cold against her paws. Her claws came out as she lost her balance. She fell and hit the ground, sliding forward, her chin against the mud.

"That's one way to do it," Moss meowed. Her green-golden eyes shined.

Sunstorm grumbled, but when she realized she wasn't moving any longer she quickly rolled over. The mud clung to her sides, seeping into her undercoat, covering her ginger-brown in gray. She reached her back, rubbing, her eyes on the blue sky above. Her tail thrashed, getting muddy. Rolling back onto her belly, she breathed in deep. Making sure to keep her eyes closed and hold her breath she rubbed her head into the thick goo. When she recovered, she looked up seeing if she'd managed to cover herself.

"The top of your head," Feathertail meowed. "And your legs."

Sunstorm nodded and worked on that. When she finally stood up, she felt heavy as if a large tree had landed on her and she had to carry it around with her. As she pulled herself from the mud and to the firmer, grass and moss covered ground, she could already feel the mud drying. It cracked and flaked, but still held.

"Good," Shadow meowed. "Let's show them the camp."

Sunstorm quickly joined with them, her pelt like any other. She sniffed but found the mud covered any scents of her companions. Thoughtfully she realized the mud really was useful in more ways than one. The patrol of four cats quickly led them to the ridge Sunstorm had spotted before. She noticed they followed beside the river in the direction it flowed, the banks becoming less muddy and rockier. Behind them the mountain reared up to the higher, cloud filled peak. Other mountains surrounded them on the horizon.

The cats reached the ridge where the river veered off, curving around the side, disappearing where the ridge lowered.

"Up, over, and down," Moss meowed as they started to climb the slope.

Sunstorm flicked an ear to show she'd heard. She kept her mind on her task, her mud filled claws not quite able to grasp. Her heart pounded by the time she reached the top of the ridge. She looked down, expecting a longer hike. Instead a long and low valley met her eyes before sloping up to another ridge. To the side, the river poured downward, smaller now, into different ledges, where a pool of water collected before falling over the side into the next pool. It finally ended far below where it ran through the middle of the camp and finally petered out into a boggy area. Reeds thrust up, accompanied by flowers and croaking frogs.

Cats -not covered in mud- lay about in the valley, resting in the sun, while others pretended to fight, ate, or taught smaller cats that must have been apprentices.

"This is the Tribe of Endless Hunting," Moss meowed. "Over there is the Edge Trail, the nests when it isn't raining, and the small marsh. That's Cloud Where the Starlings Fly training his to-be. Poor thing just died last Frozen Water."

Sunstorm noticed Moss pointing her tail at a white tom with ginger spotting in front of a brown apprentice- or to-be.

"So do they ever grow up here?" she asked.

"No," Moss shook her head. "He'll always be a to-be in training for prey-hunter. It is sad when the young die."

Sunstorm nodded her head. She couldn't imagine dying so young. And not able to become the cat you were destined to be.

"We need to see Stoneteller first to tell him you're here," the patrol leader meowed and started down the slope.

Sunstorm thought. "So which Stoneteller is in charge here?"

Moss smiled. "The last one alive of course. The others are around here somewhere. They became either prey-hunters or cave-guards and took back their names they received as kits."

Then Moss had to stop talking and followed the others downward. Sunstorm was the last and she quickly followed, stretching herself down the steep slope to the ledge below. She looked down at the line of cats, not certain which one was Feathertail. Their backs all looked the same. She thought maybe her friend was behind the patrol leader, following him down the large boulders. She expected to stop at the bottom but the ground stopped before a large cave opening near a narrow waterfall between ledges. Some water trickled its way inside the opening of the earth.

"You can go," the patrol leader waved his tail at the other cats. "Bring some food after we return."

They left, Moss promising to meet Sunstorm later, and the patrol leader lead Sunstorm and Feathertail inside. The cave stayed light in the entrance, but the tom led them farther into the back and the light dimmed around them.

"The cave is the same down in the Tribe of Rushing Water," Shadow meowed. "Stoneteller doesn't leave the cave often, just like in life. I suppose it's familiar. When the new one comes, the healer loves to leave, to see what we've all been talking about."

Sunstorm listened. She thought that sounded interesting. A leader not coming out to lead. Doing what they did in life. She was glad she didn't have to spend the rest of eternity in a cave. It didn't seem very fun. She looked at the high, gray walls. Parts seemed to reach down to her, pointing at her as underpaw, the ground became rough, jabbing into her pads.

"Stalactites and stalagmites," Feathertail whispered into Sunstorm's ear. "The Cave of Pointed Stones is even better. The Tribes communicate there."

Sunstorm's ears lifted. She was actually going to see it? She hadn't even been to the Moonpool in StarClan. The leaders hadn't let her even see it. The first few days she'd been dead they were scared she'd try to go back to ThunderClan, and then afterward something secretive had happened and everyone was banned from even speaking to their living friends. They could still watch from the lake though.

The cave narrowed into two tunnels and the tom led them down one of them, following the stream. The cave grew lighter and Sunstorm looked up. Jagged cracks lined the rocks above, letting in light from the sun. It illuminated puddles of water and pillars of the pointed stones. Sunstorm couldn't tell how big the cave was.

"Who have you brought, Shadow?"

A cat with spiked fur covered in mud came from behind one of the pillars.

"Stoneteller," Shadow meowed. "Feathertail has come back. She's brought a new cat with her."

"Not Graystripe or Silverstream?" the old tom meowed.

"No." Shadow motioned Sunstorm forward.

"My name is Sunstorm," she meowed, lowering her head to the tom.

Stoneteller looked at her, his eyes glancing along her body before returning her gaze.

"And you are from the lake?"

Sunstorm nodded.

"You may just be the one we've waited for," Stoneteller meowed, looking pleased as he turned away.

Sunstorm stared at him. "Wha-"

Shadow coughed and whispered into her ear, "He tends to do that. He still thinks he's getting prophesies. Sometimes he does of course, to tell the Stoneteller in the Rushing Water Tribe. But right now, he just needs time to adjust."

Sunstorm nodded, still not sure. She glanced after the healer as he disappeared behind the pillars. She supposed they'd been dismissed. She looked at Feathertail. The mud-covered she-cat didn't seem surprised at Stoneteller's actions. She just turned away with Shadow as they made their way from the cave.

Outside Feathertail was quickly surrounded by her old friends. Shadow disappeared into the crowd, going to what looked like a fresh-kill pile. Sunstorm licked her lips, eager to join him.

"What did he say?" the voice of Moss came from a stocky, gray she-cat. The gold-green eyes looked the same and Sunstorm knew this was her friend all cleaned up.

"Nothing really," Sunstorm answered. She glanced over at Feathertail, but the former RiverClan she-cat was too busy talking to notice. "He just wanted to know where I'd come from and said something about how I might be the cat he's been waiting for."

Moss blinked.

"Not that I believe him," Sunstorm quickly meowed.

Moss nodded. "He's different from our old Stoneteller."

Sunstorm wanted to change the subject and get some food, so she started walking down the ledge to the valley floor.

"Why did you wash off the mud?" she meowed.

"It's time for me to rest," Moss meowed. "We each take time to guard and hunt, relax and sleep. We didn't use to do this before. Then we went out in groups whenever we felt like it, but now we all have schedules."

Sunstorm nodded. Those rogues must have really changed the lifestyle for everyone in both Tribes. Moss seemed to know where Sunstorm was going and quickly led the way.

"This is our caught-prey pile," she meowed waving her tail. "Do you want to share with me?"

Sunstorm nodded, looking over what the Tribe had caught. There were some frogs, mice, other things she wasn't sure about, and finally large birds with taloned feet. She blinked at them.

"Hawks," Moss meowed, picking one from the pile by its large wing and dragging it to a cliff side where other cats lay down, passing one piece of prey between each other. "We hunt these too. I sure can't wait until you try to catch one."

Sunstorm watched the other cats, remembering what 'sharing' meant to the Tribe and decided to copy them. "Have you caught one?" she asked quickly.

"Once," Moss answered, passing the hawk to Sunstorm. "I wasn't supposed to. I am a cave-guard after all. But when I was alive my friend caught one but she didn't see its mate. So I had to rescue her."

Sunstorm purred, her mouth full, feathers clinging to the mud around her muzzle, others on her chest. Moss's eyes crinkled as she stared at the other she-cat.

"Is it good?"

Sunstorm nodded, swallowing. Moss laughed and took her bite after pulling a few more feathers off.

After their meal, Moss led Sunstorm to meet some of her friends.

"This is Water that Falls Softly," Moss meowed.

"Just call me Water," the tortoiseshell she-cat nodded her head.

"All right," Sunstorm agreed.

"Has Moss talked your ear off enough yet?" Water meowed.

Sunstorm just shook her head. "She's told me things I need to know. I appreciate it." The ginger-brown she-cat dipped her head to Moss.

Moss looked pleased.

"Well, I can do more than just talk to you," Water meowed. "How about we go hunting?"

Sunstorm's ears rose. She'd like that very much.

_**-Line-**_

Sunstorm waited, her eye on the mouse. It huddled near a slope under a stumpy bush, small seeds fallen from the flat leaves. She watched the small brown creature and then glanced at the sky where gray streaks of clouds formed, curling around the mountain peaks and slowly descending. What if a hawk never came? Could she just kill the mouse then?

She looked over at Water crouched beside her. The tortoiseshell fur was covered beneath a layer of mud. She wanted to ask, but she'd been told to keep silent as long as she could, because if anyone spoke, the prey would hear and they might mess up someone else's catch. But Sunstorm had to know. This didn't look like weather for birds to be flying in.

Sunstorm looked over Water and could barely make out the three mud-covered cave-guards. They stood in a circle, ears and eyes alert for anything. On occasion Sunstorm saw them look skyward. Another prey-hunter had joined Sunstorm and Water. A once light brown tabby she-cat, before she rolled in the gray mud, Flower Clinging to a Rocky Slope wandered off farther away to hunt. She didn't have to teach Sunstorm after all. Water had taken on the role of mentor for the new cat, willing to teach the stranger.

Sunstorm turned back to her companion, twitching an ear to attract her attention. Water looked away from the mouse, question in her eyes. Sunstorm motioned to the mouse.

"Patience," Water breathed so quietly. "It will come."

Sunstorm shook her head, flakes of dry mud falling off. These cats took all day just to catch anything! The sun was already starting to set and Sunstorm wasn't looking forward to wandering back to camp in the dark. She didn't want to fall off the side of the mountain after all.

Motion caught the ginger-brown she-cat's attention. Her head whipped around and she stared at the mouse. It had froze. Sunstorm looked for what large thing had moved. She gazed upward, but there was nothing in the blue-gray sky. Just then the shadow returned.

Sunstorm rose as a shape jumped downward from the slope. The cat landed on top of the mouse, claws digging in. Wild, yellow eyes stared at Sunstorm before the cat raced away, the mouse in her jaws.

Water yowled in anger and rose up from the ground to give chase. A cave-guard raced after the two and Sunstorm stared in confusion. Flower ran up from where she was hunting. She stared in the direction the three cats had run off, already out of sight in the land of cliffs, valleys, and rocks.

"Why is she chasing that cat?" Sunstorm asked.

"It's a rogue," Flower answered with a shrug. "They keep stealing our prey. She must be a new one or she wouldn't have been in this part of the mountain. The cave-guards usually keep it clear. Do you want to go back to camp now?"

Sunstorm blinked. "We aren't going to wait?"

Flower shook her head. "Water will come back to camp with Grass. It's getting too late to hunt anyway."

Sunstorm finally agreed, but as the group turned away, she couldn't help feeling sorry for the rogue she-cat. She'd seemed so desperate. She had to be brave to steal that mouse from so many Tribe cats.

"Don't the rogues have a Clan here?" she asked Flower.

The mud-covered cat shrugged.

They probably didn't, Sunstorm thought to herself. They were only rogues after all and had a newly created Tribe of their own. They probably didn't think there was life after they died.

The she-cat cave-guard didn't say a thing as they walked away, but the tom had something to say.

"Let's hope they do return."

"What do you mean?" Sunstorm turned on him.

"The large hawk might get them," the tom replied, his blue eyes anxious.

"The large-?"

"Torn," Flower snapped. She glared at him.

The tom looked down and didn't say anything else. Sunstorm narrowed her eyes, staring at Flower, but the she-cat held her tongue. Sunstorm wondered if she'd ever figure out what the large hawk really was. Could it really be what it sounded like? A large hawk? They seemed big enough now, bigger than a cat by half, so what could scare the Tribe so much?

_**-Line-**_

"Tell me about the large hawk," Sunstorm meowed.

"Not now, Sunstorm," Moss murmured, her head wrapped in her paws. "It's nighttime."

They lay in small depressions in the valley. Cats rested everywhere on the ground. Pieces of moss and feathers and fur lined the depressions for a comfortable and warm resting spot. Stars shined overhead through the wispy clouds as a fine mist coated the land above the valley. The half moon hid behind mountain peak. The thin light entered the valley, lighting the pools of water.

Sunstorm, now cleaned of the mud, could hardly sleep. The small waterfalls were loud trickling in her ears. She could hardly imagine how the Tribe of Rushing Water could live behind their large waterfall. She also found it strange to be sleeping in the open like this. She'd done it enough on her way up the mountain side, but never with a Clan of cats beside her. She'd thought there would be cover she could sleep under when she reached her destination.

"Now is the best time to share stories," Sunstorm meowed.

"It is not," Moss protested, opening one eye. "Everyone wants to sleep, not listen to me."

Sunstorm narrowed her eyes. "Then we can go up there." She pointed to the ridge with her nose.

"Why do you want to hear about the hawk this much?"

"Because Water hasn't come back."

Moss opened both eyes, staring at the ginger-brown she-cat.

"What about Grass?"

Sunstorm shook her head. She hadn't seen either of the two after sunset. Admittedly the Tribe was large, but she'd been anxious for the two and looked for the tortoiseshell until nightfall.

"This is bad," Moss meowed, standing up.

Sunstorm looked down. "So did the hawk get them or did the rogues?"

Moss sighed. "Come on."

The stocky, gray she-cat led Sunstorm around the cat bodies and to the top of the ridge. Now Sunstorm looked down on the Tribe, seeing just how many there really were. Their numbers weren't even comparable to the Clans at the lake.

"The hawk started bothering us three moons ago," Moss started explaining. "We could handle the rogues. We set up cave-guards watches all over our territory to make sure they stayed out. Then the hawk came and started taking away cats. It didn't care if we hunted alone or in pairs. It would come and take cats away. We haven't seen them since."

Sunstorm stared so hard she thought her eyes would fall out. "They just disappear? You don't think it ate them?"

Moss gasped. "No! What makes you think that?"

"Well, we eat don't we? The mice eat and the hawks eat the mice, so. . ." Sunstorm swallowed. "Do you think there is another level of death? When you die here, or fade away, you go there?"

Moss blinked. "Maybe." She seemed doubtful. "All I know is that no one ever came back. We try to hunt and guard in large groups now. That seems to deter it and if it does attack, we can all force it down and then maybe we can kill it."

"I hope you can do that," Sunstorm meowed. "To bad you can't go to where it lives and kill it there."

"We don't know where it lives, only somewhere up that mountain peak," the gray she-cat waved her tail to the peak that hid the moon. "Stoneteller said if we went, we would die. We had to wait for the day the sun went under the water."

Sunstorm squinted. "He's mad! Bees must be in his brain!"

Moss nodded her head. "I can hardly imagine so much water that it covers the horizon and the sun disappears under it. I heard that some of your cats found such a place."

Sunstorm nodded. "In life they did before finding the Rushing Water Tribe. I heard it sinks there every day."

"Not where we can see it, so no one will try. We just have to believe Water and Grass are sleeping out there and they'll come back tomorrow. Now, let's get some sleep."

Moss quickly led the way back down. Sunstorm didn't feel tired even now, but she had to try. Moss still had to guard tomorrow. Maybe Sunstorm could join her.

_**-Line-**_

Two days had passed, but Water the tortoiseshell cat didn't come back. One cat was affected the most by her disappearance. Star of the Red Dawn, her mate, a dark ginger tom with gray stripes. The prey-hunter spent most of his time looking for her. A few cave-guards went with him for protection.

"I think he's looking to get swooped up," Flower muttered, watching him disappear up the ridge one morning.

"At least he'll be with her," Sunstorm tried to say.

Flower stared at her. "I doubt it."

"The bird might just drop cats wherever it feels like it," Moss explained. She and Sunstorm shared a glance.

_Or eat them_, Sunstorm thought.

"Well let's go," Moss meowed brightly as if to banish the gloomy mood.

The three she-cats started walking to the ledge. The rest of their group, formed of cave-guards and prey-hunters, met them at the slope. Among them was Feathertail. The former RiverClan she-cat looked happy to be among the Tribe. She hadn't seen Sunstorm for a while now. Not that Sunstorm cared. She was having enough excitement without the other StarClan cat. They would see enough of each other on the way back to StarClan.

"Hello, Cloud," Moss meowed to the white tom.

He nodded back, his to-be copying him.

The seven cats started up the ledges. Feathertail and Sunstorm ended up close together.

"Hello," Sunstorm meowed.

Feathertail nodded back, a smile on her face.

The group almost made it to the muddy riverbank when Star rose up from the mud, his dark ginger fur hidden behind the gray. He was alone.

"Star," Moss meowed. "Where is everyone else?"

"They didn't want to help me," he growled as the other cats started rolling in the mud.

"Why not?"

"I told them I was going up the mountain and they told me I was foolish. They don't want to risk themselves for my mate."

Sunstorm stared at him. He wasn't seriously thinking of going up there was he?

She looked at the mountain peak. It wasn't so far away, but the very top disappeared into the clouds. The mountain range continued beyond the nearest peak and Sunstorm wondered if the hawk didn't live somewhere else. "You can't go alone," Cloud meowed.

"I have to," Star growled back. "No one else wants to help me."

"We'll do it," Moss spoke up.

Now Star stared at her.

"I don't care what Stoneteller said," Moss continued. "It's time to stop living in fear. We have to stop that bird."

Star lowered his head. "You'd go with me?" he whispered.

Moss nodded.

"I will too," Cloud meowed.

"Me too," his to-be squeaked.

"No," Cloud told him. "You're staying here."

"But I want to come," the to-be whined.

"Will you come?" Moss turned to Sunstorm.

Sunstorm nodded. "You aren't going to leave me out of this. I'm sure I know a few tricks that hawk won't be expecting."

"Okay, you've convinced me," Flower spoke up. "I'll join you."

Sunstorm glanced at the light brown tabby. She couldn't remember anyone inviting her.

"Let's go then," Star meowed, suddenly happier.

"First we need to get covered in mud and tell Shadow we're leaving."

"I heard," the formerly black tom answered. He and the rest of the group stood by the riverbank, now covered in mud and ready to hunt. "I would try to tell you not to go, but I know I can't. Just don't do anything more beetle-brained than you're already doing."

"We'll try not to," Moss purred. "You'll see us later. After all, I heard the sun sinks under the water everyday down below."

Shadow looked down and didn't say anymore.

Sunstorm and the other cats started to walk onto the mud, ready to disguise themselves. Suddenly a gray covered she-cat got in her way.

"You seriously can't be considering this," Feathertail protested.

Sunstorm looked up into her blue eyes. "I'm going."

"Don't be mouse-brained. I have to return with you to the lake."

"You will," Sunstorm answered. "When I get back."

Now Feathertail frowned at her. "I don't want to bring bad luck, but from what I heard, you might not return."

"We only live once, Feathertail," Sunstorm replied. "I'm doing this. I wanted adventure when I asked to come to the Tribe. This is it. I'm also helping a friend. You can't stop me."

Feathertail's eyes burned, but Sunstorm pushed her away without another word. It might be foolish to even attempt the climb, however Sunstorm wanted to. Star wanted to save his mate. Moss and the others to keep an eye on him and finally stop the hawk. Why shouldn't she help them?

* * *

**The Stoneteller in this chapter is the same one that the Clans in the Erin's books meet. I thought he was old enough so it was time for him to die.**


	19. Chapter 16: Badgerface

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to _Goldenstream_ and _Darkness of the Eclipse_, my two reviewers._

* * *

**Chapter 16**

He could only feel his heart beating steadily in his chest. The sound slowly rose, filling his head. Somehow everything became muffled and yet his ears felt full when everything else became silent. It felt like his head was under water. He knew what sticking his head under water was like. He'd done it once on a dare as an apprentice.

It had been a Gathering night. RiverClan's Dustypaw and Gorsepaw challenged him to see how long he could hold his breath beneath the water. He agreed to their challenge, dipping his head into the lake water for as long as he could. He almost passed out before a warrior found them and pulled him out.

He caught whitecough from the occurrence. It slowly worsened before Littlecloud and Flametail cured him. However, since he recovered, things went wrong. Sounds started fading, voices cut out around him. The episodes lasted for longer and longer periods until for at least a day he could hear nothing at all. He was nearly deaf. He could only wonder how long it would take before the sounds never came back. He, Badgerface of ShadowClan, was a flawed warrior. Why did StarClan even want his help? He didn't feel able or worthy enough to help. They probably didn't know about his disability or else they wouldn't have asked him.

There were times when he could hear just fine, answer other warriors, do as they asked. The other times he could only behave like usual, react by the looks on faces. Just answer yes, no, repeat back the things that made it through the silence. It made hunting difficult. He didn't know how loudly he placed his paws or if prey cried out. He had to spot prey with his eyes because he'd never hear it. He would never be able to tell until the last heartbeat if he'd been ambushed in fight.

Badgerface felt he couldn't do much. He hadn't even received the message StarClan had sent Lakefrost, Honeybee, or Mallowstalk. Mallowstalk had to tell him the starry ancestors had included him. He hadn't even received the full prophecy the rest spoke about. Fortunately that day he'd been able to hear. Because after, he'd heard Lakefrost's plan to visit Fawnfur for the first time and he and his siblings had almost stopped the gray tabby tom. It seemed for nothing though.

Lakefrost had been punished twice for trying to meet with Fawnfur. Now the ThunderClan she-cat was there by the border, willing to step over the scentmarkers just to meet with Lakefrost. That had to be dedication of some sort. The little ginger-brown tabby she-cat crouched in front of Mallowstalk, looking very frightened. She stood in the sparsely covered ground before the ShadowClan border. A few bushes poked between the trees. The leaf covered ground, full of fallen branches, ferns, bushes, and grass hid the Clan territory behind Fawnfur. She had her chance to run, but she slowly stood up, confronting Mallowstalk.

She glanced at him and he looked away, not willing to meet her eyes. Who knew what she thought he meant by it. He could hear her breathing and then the silence returned, filling his ears. He could only watch her now.

He saw her blink, her golden eyes on Mallowstalk's face. He glanced at his sister. She stood in front of him, but he could see the side of her jaws. She wasn't talking though. It was Honeybee. He could suddenly hear her voice.

". . . told Fallingstar . . . Lakefrost. . . punished. . . over border. . . stealing prey. . . . . . . . . . . . . there. ."

She shook with anger.

Mallowstalk spoke next, but Badgerface couldn't hear a thing. He looked at Fawnfur and saw shock on her face. It slowly turned into sadness. Suddenly her fur fluffed up, her claws out. Badgerface turned and stared at Honeybee who snarled into the medicine cat apprentice's face.

Badgerface swallowed, wondering if his golden sister would jump across and start a fight. He glanced around, wondering if he would be able to spot a ThunderClan patrol.

Mallowstalk brushed her tail down her sister's side and Honeybee took a deep breath, calming herself.

". . . . ignored," he heard her say. " . . . . . . . . . . . meet you."

"Then explain-" Fawnfur meowed.

Her voice cut, but it wasn't his hearing. Mallowstalk had interrupted.

"We can't . . . you can't. . . . us."

Badgerface wanted to moan. He wished he could understand them! It was frustrating. Even their reactions told him nothing except that they disagreed with each other. Fawnfur seemed different somehow. Her body was stiffer, but something seemed more dangerous as if she'd found something she could use. Then she slumped.

" . . . helping me? My Clan is in danger and you are the only ones that can help."

Badgerface stopped holding his breath and it rushed out just as Honeybee gasped. She wanted their help? She had to know they were the four StarClan had come to. Lakefrost had probably told her. His brother hadn't been speaking to them since Ashpaw had caught Fawnfur and Lakefrost at the border a quarter moon ago. He had to get escorts when he left the Clan and he would only accept his siblings as a last resort when no one at all would take him.

Badgerface had started feeling guilty by all the punishments Lakefrost was willing to go through just to help ThunderClan. Mallowstalk was still against it and trying to convince Lakefrost to not help anymore. She said he only needed the rest of the half moon and it wouldn't matter anymore. Supposedly that was all the time StarClan had given them. When the next Gathering came, ThunderClan would be no more.

He and his siblings were the only ones who could help her. They wouldn't.

_But I can't_, Badgerface thought, _I am not. . . good enough to help_.

"No," Mallowstalk meowed. ". . . . ."

He could see her mouth moving, cold in her eyes. Honeybee remained solid and angry on the ginger's other side. The dark trees just rose above them, shadows and sun pouring down on them, dappling the ground. Everything was still around them, as if waiting. When his sister was finished, her jaw clenched shut. He was sure he would have heard it click.

He turned to look at Fawnfur. Sadness entered her golden eyes.

". . . we'll be killed," she meowed quietly. "Even. . . . . . .-ate it."

ThunderClan actually killed. His eyes narrowed. Badgerface found it so hard to believe. They were the strongest, biggest Clan, but Fawnfur was frightened of it, of this warning StarClan had given her. Perhaps he'd been trying to convince himself it would never happen, but a ThunderClan cat was afraid. That meant something was really bad. They actually could be destroyed. If he thought about it, a half moon ago had been so long ago when his brother and sisters had discussed the prophecy. Now it wasn't long at all before the moon was ended and ThunderClan had no chance for survival.

He heard his sister snort, startling him out of his thoughts, but heard nothing much after that. ". . . .we'd all be better off."

Better off if what? Badgerface wanted to ask.

Fawnfur's ears collapse and she looked around, searching. She looked at him. He couldn't meet her eyes. What could he say to her? I'm sorry? I'm sorry your Clan will all die because Mallowstalk won't help, doesn't want to. He blinked. Sorry because I'm worthless? He looked at Fawnfur. She continued to stare at Mallowstalk, confused and worried.

"Go back," Mallowstalk meowed. "Leave. . . . . . Maybe . . run away. . . live."

"I have. . try," Fawnfur replied, closing her eyes. "StarClan. . .wanted you. . ."

StarClan. They wanted ThunderClan to be safe. They'd asked him and his siblings. Only Lakefrost was willing to do anything and now he was unable, constantly watched, prevented from helping. What would the ancestors think if they didn't do anything at all? Was it possible as Lakefrost said that once ThunderClan was gone, ShadowClan might be next?

"I'll help."

Badgerface tried to keep his voice normal, not too loud or too soft. He tried to say each word, clearly leave them spaced and not rushed together. He couldn't hear what he said most of the time and though it might sound slow to others, at least they could understand him and wouldn't think anything was wrong with him.

Fawnfur turned. She looked at him, surprised.

"Lakefrost wanted to help you," he continued. "StarClan wants us to help you. I," he licked his lips, not quite sure why he really wanted to help at all.

He knew it just wouldn't really work. He was disabled and couldn't even take orders from her, couldn't advise her. He couldn't help her, he didn't know how, but he'd be willing to try. Perhaps just to prove it was possible for him. That he really did mean something despite being deaf.

"I can't let another Clan just die. It isn't right."

He said the words because he knew that's what Lakefrost would say. Lakefrost felt some other sense of right and wrong that went beyond Clan boundaries. Badgerface almost felt the same, but he could push back the feeling, knowing he had to help his Clan first. This time he had a reason to help ThunderClan. He had to do something before he fully became deaf, before Fallingstar sent him to the elders' den, unable to be a warrior any longer.

Fawnfur smiled. A sudden, grateful smile. When Badgerface looked at her, he could almost see why his brother liked her. She was such a beautiful she-cat. He was sure that she had a nice personality to go with her looks. She seemed usually calm.

"Thank you."

He nodded to her.

"Badgerface," Mallowstalk hissed.

He glanced over at her. "What. . . doing?"

"I'm helping Fawnfur," he replied, feeling certain he knew what she'd asked. "She needs us."

"Haven't you been listening to anything I just said?" she yelled.

He swallowed and tried not to react. His face burned, but he couldn't let her see that her words bothered him.

_Oh, please, just let me hear for a few more heartbeats_, he prayed, staring at her.

She'd turned to face him, standing a tail length away from him as if not knowing who he was.

"We'll be betraying our Clan," Mallowstalk meowed, quieter, her eyes pleading.

"Lakefrost said we might be next," he answered.

Mallowstalk snorted. "What does. . . . . .? Helping has gotten him into this mess."

"You have," Badgerface meowed. "He's doing what StarClan asked him. He's only punished because he was caught. Do you think we might have been able to prevent it, help him out of this mess? Say he's been with us instead?"

Mallowstalk blinked in surprise, pulling away from him and bumping into Honeybee.

"Stop being so afraid of helping ThunderClan. No one will care if they don't know about it. And maybe they will know. Then what do you think will happen? They'll say we were too scared, too cruel to help when we could."

"Who is this 'they'?" She glared at him.

"The same ones you fear will think you betrayed them."

She looked down, her paw shifting in the dirt, pushing the pine needles around.

"Then you and Lakefrost should just join ThunderClan if you want to help them so much," Mallowstalk growled, glaring at him, stilling her paw. She started to turn away.

"Please," Fawnfur spoke up. "Why aren't you helping? What do you fear?"

Mallowstalk froze and even Honeybee looked at her sister's back, question in the slant of her ears.

* * *

**If you didn't know, the dots (when there are a lot or even two) are the words Badgerface doesn't hear. Longer lines of dots for more words missed, short for less. Although there are very few places (like in his thoughts) where the three dots represent pauses for slow realization or for emphasis.**


	20. Chapter 17: Fawnfur

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to my many reviewers: _Darkness of the Eclipse, Chat et Chocolate, Goldenstream, Nature Girl 27, _and _Ravenmoonreader486

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**Chapter 17**

When Badgerface said he'd help me, it seemed so sudden. Like a cloud in a sunny sky. He was on my side, believing Lakefrost had the right idea. It made me happy that I could convince at least one cat I needed him. With him on my side, I felt certain his siblings must have felt the same.

I was wrong of course. Life could never be so easy. Mallowstalk immediately went after her brother, demanding he tell her what he was doing. In the end, she refused to listen and turned away, heading for ShadowClan land, leaving her brother with me.

I felt panic fill my chest. She couldn't just leave. I'd been so close. I took a step forward.

"Please," I meowed. "Why aren't you helping? What do you fear?"

Something was holding her back. Something that prevented her from giving me her word and her help. Something that made her work even against StarClan themselves. Badgerface had overcome his fear. Overcome the doubt that filled him and had him side with his sister this half moon. He was making his own decisions now. I could see that hurt Mallowstalk, but a thrill of joy tingled in my paws.

How dare she tell me to run away and leave my Clan to be destroyed on its own. I might still live, but I would be Clanless. What cat can live that way, no one to live with or to love, nothing to do all day but serve themselves? Becoming a rogue wasn't for me, so I had to help my Clan survive and do everything in my power to stop Mallowstalk from leaving without at least giving me a reason to forgive her choice.

I saw her freeze. Her back tensed and even her sister, who hadn't yet started walking away, looked interested. I glanced at her and she looked at me, quickly swallowing and facing away.

"What about you Honeybee?" I asked, pinning her down. If I could just get one more sibling, then maybe, just maybe, Mallowstalk wouldn't be so against me. She would give in to the inevitable and become the cat StarClan sent me to find.

"I just don't have the time," Honeybee meowed, lifting her head, her pink nose in the air. "There are just so many toms and so many things to do in the Clan. I don't have time to cross borders and talk about prophesies."

I could feel my jaw drop. What had she just said? It sounded as if she thought toms were more important than a Clan's safety. I glanced at Badgerface. He frowned, his ears tilted at an angle.  
Mallowstalk still had her back to us, but at least she wasn't walking away.

"And if you helped ThunderClan the toms would lose interest?" I slowly asked. I didn't want to offend her and have her running back to ShadowClan to get warriors to chase me away, but at the same time, talking about mates just seemed wrong.

"Um, no," Honeybee meowed. Her head lowered and she licked her whiskers. "I just didn't. . ." she just trailed away as if uncertain.

"Then would you help your brothers?" I asked. "They think this is important. I know it is. And I know StarClan wanted you to help me for some reason. I need you."

Honeybee met my eyes. "They told me that day to pay attention to my duties and to stop distracting the toms."

I nodded.

"Maybe I should listen to them." Her tail twitched. I could see her looking at her sister's back. "Mallowstalk?"

"I don't care what you want to do, but don't involve me." The ginger she-cat's legs trembled and I watched her start to walk away.

What was her problem? I wondered, glaring at her.

And then suddenly the world and sounds faded from my sight.

_**-Line to past**_-

_A ginger she-cat walked in the night. Stars shone in the black sky above, a full moon hanging over head in a forest full of pines, their needles caught in the luminous light. The ground was free from undergrowth and I could see nothing moving below, but one shadowed shape. A ginger she-cat formed when she left the shadows, her black paws seemed invisible as if she floated instead of walked._  
_  
I could sense her mind; it swirled with thoughts. She wasn't concentrating on hunting at all. She padded along, looking up into the sky at the moon. If I pushed, I could enter her thoughts, become her. . ._

Mallowstalk enjoyed staying away from the Clan. She didn't like all of those cats, so many in one place. She loved being out in the forest away from everyone. Left alone. When she was with them it felt as if they were judging her. Remembering who her ancestors were, thinking and wondering just who she'd follow after.

She was related to the great Tigerstar of ShadowClan, a traitor in the past. Related through Brownfeather, son of Tigerheart, son of Tawneypelt who was the daughter of the tabby tyrant. On her mother's side, Mallowstalk could trace her family to the great Firestar, leader of ThunderClan. Fallingstar, once Fallingsnow of ThunderClan, was daughter of Dewstep, a onetime rogue who was the son of Hollyleaf-the murderous she-cat everyone thought had died. And Hollyleaf had been the unknown daughter of Leafpool (of course that wouldn't have changed anything if Hollyleaf had still been Squirrelflight's. Firestar was still in her blood). The two greatest enemies somehow combined within her. The whole lake seemed to just be waiting to see if she too would become a traitor.

Mallowstalk sighed and shook the gloomy thoughts off of her like rain water. She couldn't think about it. It would distract her from the hunt. There were some interesting creatures out at night. She could find a few mice, and a bat was almost like a bird except faster. If she could also catch an owl that would be something to talk about next Gathering. She smiled. The last Gathering had been just last night. Although she hadn't attended, she'd been at the Gathering before that, participating as a warrior at last and felt grand for once. She wanted to do something good that would make the Clans all realize she was just like them. That despite what mixed up things her parents and ancestors had done, she wouldn't.

She suddenly felt tired. She yawned widely and quickly started walking again. She couldn't keep forgetting her duty. Her Clan had to eat after all. The dark tree shadows leaned around her. She could faintly see birds roosting up high and wondered if she dared climb for any. It was dangerous in the dark and her mentor had advised against it, even when the Clan was in need. She continued to look up, her eyes on the bats above, daring one to come closer. She could see Silverpelt behind their shadowed bodies. The stars of StarClan glittered above, dimmed by the glowing moon but still they sat there waiting. She wondered what it was liked above in the stars and what StarClan did all day. Did they have patrols? She wondered. Did they have to hunt or fight? She wondered if the dens were crowded.

The ginger she-cat's mind stayed on StarClan for a short time and then the sky was alight. Two glowing streaks parted the sky. She stared upward, captivated by the sight. They seemed to get so bright, coming closer and closer, and then- the light disappeared, leaving dazzles in her eyes.

She shook her head, her night vision was ruined. She started hunting again, but it wasn't too long before the StarClan cats revealed themselves.

"We have a message from StarClan," the gray one said. ". . . ."

_My sight shifted once more, taking me away from the scene and I didn't get to see the prophecy. Instead, when my sight returned, it was day. The sun glinted down from above. I was still in the ShadowClan territory. I could hear voices beneath a nearby bush. Without hesitating, my mind went there and I came upon Lakefrost and his siblings. The gray tabby was speaking now. I quickly started listening and I entered Mallowstalk's mind, once more hearing her thoughts. At the same time, I concentrated on the warrior's words._

"Maybe," Lakefrost nodded to Badgerface's suggestion. "I think we should contact Fawnfur."

"No," Mallowstalk meowed, her ears back as she stood again. The mushrooms fell from her sides. "That's where I draw the line. I don't see why we have to get caught up in ThunderClan problems. They're the strongest Clan in the forest. They can't be defeated. And if this were true, whoever it is trying to kill them, they must only have a grudge on ThunderClan. Why else target them? We'll be fine."

She stared hard at her brother. Lakefrost just looked at her in shock and looked around to see the others nodding. Mallowstalk took heart. They weren't as crazy as Lakefrost after all. They felt like she did. She couldn't understand why Lakefrost wanted to help an enemy Clan or even why he wanted to talk to this Fawnfur so much, but she knew it was a mouse-brained thing to do.

"No, you don't mean that," the gray tom protested. "How can you be so blind? Once they're gone, WindClan will try to get their land and we'll want it too. It will just cause fighting."

"At least we'll have more hunting grounds," Mallowstalk meowed, keeping her face straight and voice level.

She quickly pushed her way under the bush, the twigs digging into her back as she left. She stalked way, keeping her tail high and ears lifted. She would not show Lakefrost how much his surprise and disappointment hurt her. How much she was regretting what she said. It just wasn't possible to go back now. Everything in her head screamed at her that it was illogical to help this other Clan. She couldn't let her emotions get a hold of her. Not like Lakefrost who always seemed to defend ThunderClan when anyone else spoke against it. She couldn't associate another Clan. Not ever. If anyone thought she or her siblings would help, they'd think they were betraying ShadowClan. She couldn't ever let that happen. They shouldn't have to go to ThunderClan with anything. They were two separate Clans! Why couldn't Fawnfur just do it all herself? She was a ThunderClan cat. Why did they have to go to them? If they went to ThunderClan, they'd be betraying their Clan. WindClan or RiverClan would think they were plotting together. Already WindClan thought the two were so close. They couldn't afford another battle after that last large one Eveningbreeze had caused.

_Mallowstalk shook her head. It just wasn't right._

_**-Line to present-**_

I gasped as the world resolved around me. I was myself once more. Often I had gone into the past, living at another cat for a short time. But this was different. I had been me, choosing to listen in on Mallowstalk. I had learned. Learned too well exactly what my 'enemy' was afraid of. Scared she would be seen as evil, taking after Tigerstar or the others.

I looked at her, surprised to see her facing me now. Hadn't see been facing away?

"What happened?" Honeybee asked, peering at me. They remained on their side of the border, but almost leaned over the scentmarkers.

I tilted my head and glanced at Badgerface. He blinked at me as if not sure what to say. I looked at Mallowstalk.

"You can't tell me you didn't notice how much time passed with you just standing there with a stupid look on your face," Mallowstalk asked me.

My ears went back. "Usually no one notices."

Usually I hadn't done that in front of others.

"Are you okay?" Badgerface asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," I assured him. I glanced at my paws, wondering what I should say. We were supposed to help each other after all and my gift might help them help me, but I'd held this secret close to myself and only two alive knew about it. Could I really share it with them? Cats not in my Clan? I blinked. I suddenly felt I understood Mallowstalk in my own way. I too looked out for my Clan first and didn't want to betray them to others, but this once I had to. It was necessary to save them in the end.

I took a deep breath and gathered my courage.

"I see the past," I meowed, looking each of them in the eyes. "No one else can know about this. They just wouldn't believe me. We also can't tell anyone about what we're about to do. The Clan leaders would never work together against this unknown threat. We have to keep everything a secret."

"What do you mean you see the past?" Mallowstalk demanded. "You could be lying."

I licked my lips, wondering what I should say. What would convince her without driving her away? "I just saw that you don't want to betray ShadowClan and that you don't want anyone to think of you as a traitor like Tigerstar or Eveningbreeze."

I watched the ginger's eyes widen, her tail grow stiff.

"I've seen other things," I told them. "Maybe this was why StarClan warned me. But they must have felt you could help me best. Mallowstalk," I turned to her. "You can't live like this. Your Clan will either accept you or not. You just need to do the right thing. Firestar got in trouble all the time when he was a warrior, but he did what he had to help the other Clans. Lakefrost is the same. And if you're scared of betraying your Clan, does that fear mean more to you than your family? You've betrayed him, working against him."

She looked down, breathing deeply.

"What would any of you do if this was your Clan in danger?" I turned on them. "You'd want all the help you could get. So for a short time just think of my Clan as yours. That you're the ones who could all die. Then I think-"

"Quiet," Mallowstalk snapped at me, her eyes blazing into mine. "I'll help you, just stop seeing my brother. Just stop enticing him. He has enough troubles without actually falling in love with you."

I pulled away. "I'm not doing it on purpose. I-"

"What's that?" Badgerface suddenly meowed, jerking his head up. His green eyes stared into the undergrowth behind me.

I quickly turned just in time to see a silver form shaking the milkweed stalks before disappearing. I drew in breath. I glanced skyward. Sunhigh was practically over. I had to leave. I couldn't stay here much longer.

"I better leave," I meowed, facing them one last time. "You are really going to help me, right?"

"Trust us, Fawnfur," Mallowstalk meowed. Though she didn't looked entirely happy she seemed to have accepted me.

"So what do we do now?" Honeybee asked.

"We'll have to meet again," Mallowstalk replied. "When this apprentice has some free time. Tomorrow, sunset, by the lake. We'll talk about the prophecy."

"And Lakefrost?" I asked.

"Probably nothing we can do about him," Mallowstalk meowed. "Fallingstar will never change her mind, but we'll make sure he stays informed."

I nodded to her and then hurried away. I glanced back to see her leading her siblings away. I approached the area the silver form disappeared and saw his fur on the bushes. I breathed his scent in. Dread filled my heart. Owlface. He'd followed me. He'd found me and saw me speaking with the ShadowClan warriors. I swallowed. This wasn't good. I could just feel it.

I started running, hoping I could find him someplace nearby and maybe speak with him. I bounded through the thick weeds and over the fallen branches and leaves scattered around the forest. It wasn't long before I came face to face with Bramblestar.

I halted just in time. He shot from the bushes, Whitewing, Tigerpaw, and Toadstep behind him.

"You're safe," he meowed, staring at me, smelling my fur as if checking for wounds.

"Yes," I answered, trying not to pull away. "I'm fine. What were you expecting?"

"Owlface saw you by the border. Three ShadowClan warriors had you surrounded. We thought they were attacking."

I blinked and searched the patrol. It had gotten bigger since we'd stood still. They pulled themselves from the undergrowth all facing me and Bramblestar, almost halfway to the border. There in the back I spotted Owlface. He breathed hard as if running had exhausted him. The silver warrior glared at me, his eyes hard, his tail thrashing. I sighed and turned away, paying attention to Bramblestar.

"Did anything happen?" my leader asked slowly.

"Of course not," I meowed. "I was hunting and then I saw them. We got to talking."

"This doesn't seem right," Whitewing meowed. "ShadowClan's been guarding that border all quarter moon. They wouldn't even talk to us when we saw them."

I could feel the silence. The patrol stared at me.

"Did they want anything?" Bramblestar asked.

"No, they just wanted me away from the border," I answered. That sounded more real. Just talking wasn't ShadowClan's style. Or at least not the past's ShadowClan. Fallingstar had been changing them lately, but many still believed the stories to believe the Clan had even changed.

"Then you are fine?"

I nodded.

"Back to camp," Bramblestar ordered the patrol. "Come on, Fawnfur."

I didn't argue and quickly joined him as we made our way through the forest. I kept my eyes on Owlface the whole way back to the quarry. He didn't walk with me like he used too. Something had changed. I wondered just how long it would be until he told the Clan I met secretly with Lakefrost before. For all I knew he might even lie and make the situation worse.

As we walked, I noticed some of the patrol glancing back at me and then whispering to each other. I narrowed my eyes until I saw Bramblestar staring at me with something like suspicion. I blinked. What had happened? Had he already told them?

I swallowed. I just had to talk to Jayfeather. He might just be the only cat who'd believe me from now on. I had to tell him that I had found the four and that they were willing to help me. We only had to meet tomorrow and I'd learn more. I wondered if it would be possible to meet. What if Bramblestar didn't let me out of camp without an escort either?

* * *

**Sorry for the repeats from the other chapters, but I figured you'd all forgotten what happened anyway and Fawnfur needed to see.**


	21. Chapter 18: Sunstorm

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_This is the last chapter, but the next book should start soon. I'll also be continuing Retaking Summerheat._

_Someone suggested on another story that I should make youtube episodes of my stories. What would you think of that?_

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**Chapter 18**

The journey up the remaining part of the mountain wasn't any different from when Sunstorm traveled with Feathertail to the Tribe. There was a lot of gray rock, a lot of walking, and not much hunting. When they started out that morning, they managed to catch some prey, but as the day went on, it got harder on the verticle slopes. She felt hunger gnaw at her once more.

The five of them (Cloud where the Starlings Fly, Star in the Red Dawn, Moss on a Gray Stone, Flower Clinging to a Rocky Slope, and Sunstorm) journied up the mountain peak to find Star's missing mate. She had been stolen by a giant hawk which had been terrorizing the Clan for moons. The Tribe believed the hawk lived on the highest peak on their mountain since they'd seen it fly there many times after preying on them.

The cats climbed the mountainside, jumping across boulders and ledges, clawing their way up cliffs, all in an effort to reach the peak. Sunstorm stayed near the back of the line with Moss. The two toms scouted the way, looking for firm ground to land on while Flower trailed behind them, keeping up with a steady stream of complaints or critizisms. Sunstorm didn't know why the light brown tabby cat (when she wasn't coverd in mud) had even insisted on coming along; no one had invited her.

Sunstorm stayed in the back so Moss could keep an eye on her and help her if she started to slip. The ginger-brown she-cat was grateful for the help. She wasn't quite an expert on mountain life just yet. They also got more time to talk, which Moss excelled at doing.

"So how can Water and Star be mates?" Sunstorm asked as she watched one of the mud covered toms leap onto a wide ledge. She strained her head but couldn't see the rest of the mountainside. It curved too much inward, hidding on the other side of that ledge.

"Well, normally some cats meet up after death. They might have formerly been mates when alive, or else they're cats who had no one or prefer someone new pair up," Moss answered. She stood behind Sunstorm on one of the lower ledges, waiting for the cats ahead to call them. "However, Water and Star died at the same time."

Sunstorm twisted her head glancing behind at Moss.

"There was an earthquake," Moss explained quietly. "They were out on the mountain when it hit. Water was going to kit in a quarter moon or so and Star wanted to watch out for her. So they went hunting together. The ledge they were standing on crumbled with all the shaking and they fell to their deaths."

Sunstorm continued to stare at her companion. "Just like that?" she meowed, not quite stopping a squeak.

The she-cat nodded her head. "We all heard the story growing up. It was a lesson not to all stand on the same ledge or boulder. You never know what could happen."

Sunstorm glanced downward. Far below she could make out the wide plateau the Tribe of Endless hunting called home. She thought she could make out a dark shadow, the valley they camped in. She swallowed, pulling back so her mud covered fur touched the mountainside. She'd never been scared of heights before this. She'd been nervous, but she'd never actually been so scared. After all she and Moss were sharing the same ledge.

"Don't worry," came Moss's cheerful voice behind her, "This ledge is strong. And if it did break, we'd be fine. We're dead already."

Somehow that didn't help.

"Come on!" came the faint call above.

Sunstorm looked up and could see one of the gray cats leaning down, motioning them forward. She gathered her legs under her and pushed as hard as she could, claws reaching out as she aimed for the next jut. Above her the gray clouds hung heavy and low, hiding the sky from view.

_**-Line-**_

As darkness decended, they entered the cloud covering. The mist hang in the air around them, clinging to the cats. The mud started to get wet again and then started to run, dripping off, dottingthe trail behind them. Sunstorm wondered when they'd start looking for a place to rest. She felt sticky and wet to the bone. She wondered if she could breathe in the water and if the lack of air would make her pass out.

The toms had disapeared down a trail. It was on the other side of a large boulder blocking the path on the long ledge. Flower stood on the rock now, sitting, the mud leaking from her fur onto the rock.

"How much higher do you think it is?" Flower asked. "My paws are even starting to ache and this mist is giving me a headache."

"You mean to the top?" Moss asked, looking up at the she-cat. Then the gray she-cat shrugged. "No clue."

"I found a cave!" Cloud's voice rang, echoing down to them.

The she-cats turned. Flower even got off of the rock and finally let Sunstorm and Moss get up. Sunstorm almost slipped on all the mud Flower had left. Her claws, almost nubs by now, managed to stablize her so she could continue. On the trail, she could see Cloud sticking his whitish-muddy head into the rock. When she got closer, she saw the blackness yawn in front of her, leaning to the side. She didn't think it would be very warm inside.

"We should keep going," Star insisted. He stood farther on the trail where it started curling upward, disappearing fully into the cloudy mist.

"It's getting dark," Moss meowed, staring at him. "we can hardly see more than a cat length in front of us anyway. It will be harder when the sun leaves."

"It will be too dangerous," Flower meowed.

"We need to rest," Cloud agreed.

The four of them looked up at Star, waiting for him. Anger flashed in his eyes, but then his ears lowered in acceptance, his eyes half closed. He nodded and then walked down to them.

Flower turned to the cave and started to walk inside. Sunstorm watched her ears lower, avoiding the pointed stones hanging down from above. It was hardly enough room for her to stand straight.

"We need something soft in here," Flower meowed, her voice muffled.

"I agree," Sunstorm meowed. She'd heard how cold stone ground could be and how hard. She'd even felt it on her paw pad in the Cave of Pointed Stones where Stoneteller lived. She didn't look forward to sleeping on it and freezing all night. Even with the covering of mud on her fur, which actually block most of the cold or wind from cutting through her fur. Besides, it had mostly dripped off. It coated her underbelly, leaving her back patchy with fur.

"I thought I saw some moss farther down the cliffside," Cloud meowed.

"Then get some," Star meowed.

"Come with me?" Cloud turned to Moss.

She nodded, blinking at him and then turned around to lead the way back over the boulder.

Meanwhile the other three ducked inside the cave. It was dark, but her eyes adjusted with the small amount of light getting inside around their bodies. It wasn't very big and got lower the farther they walked. Sunstorm crawled in anyway, her leg aching and not willing to help her friend go back down and bring moss up. She could already feel the air drying. The mist hadn't entered into the dark. It just clung around the edges of the entrance.

She settled down, trying to stop herself from licking off all the mud coating her legs. It seemed so strange trying to sleep in it. But sleep she did. she wasn't certain when Moss or Cloud got back or how they got her onto a nest of moss.

The next morning she awoke to Star nosing her. The tom looked anxious to start and when he saw her open her eyes, he turned to Flower. Sunstorm looked underneath her and saw green. Of course the plant had been covered with the mud dripping from her body, but it was sill soft and protected her from the cold floor.

She yawned, slowly stretching while laying down. She felt her back ripple under her and then the mud, which had dried, cracked. She wrinkled her nose. Mud wasn't pleasant at all. She stood up.

"Leave me alone," Flower growled. The she-cat kept her eyes closed, hiding her face under her paws.

Star nudged her.

"I'm trying to sleep," she hissed back.

"There isn't time to sleep," Star muttered. "Now get up!"

Flower yowled as if bitten and Sunstorm's ears went back at the noise. The light brown she-cat sprang to her feet, ducking her head in time so she wouldn't bash it on the cave ceiling, and took a swipe at Star. The dark ginger tom backed up and avoided her sharp claws. By now Flower cooled down and didn't charge after him, but she did send him a few glares as she rubbed a paw over one ear.

Moss and Cloud woke up with the argument and blinked between the two. No one moved. Star kept his eyes on Flower for a short while and then looked around the cave.

"You're all up. Good. Let's move."

He left the cave first. Sunstorm tried to meet the eyes of the other cats but they seemed just as surprised and amused as they looked at each other. It didn't take long for them to leave the cave.  
Bright light shone down at them, gleaming through the thick droplets hanging in the air. The clouds hadn't left in the night. Sunstorm didn't think they'd ever leave. She snorted at the mist, blowing the water away from her face, but more just held onto her body, starting to make the mud loosen and drip once more.

She sighed and gave up. It would just be another day in the mountains.

_**-Line-**_

Star was the first to disappear. He was walking through the mist ahead on the trail one moment and then was gone the next. The grayness seemed to swallow him, making him into a wraith of shadows and then completely gone. Then Cloud was the next. Sunstorm blinked when she realized she didn't see any of the toms.

She looked upward once as if to see through the gray covering, but she still couldn't see the sky. When she looked back down, Flower was gone. Sunstorm stopped, not willing to go any farther.

"Moss," Sunstorm warily called behind her.

"Yeah?"

"The others are gone."

There was silence behind her.

"What d'you mean?"

"They aren't there anymore."

Moss squeezed next to her on the ledge trail, peering around. "They have to be ahead," the gray she-cat insisted. "They might have went around a boulder or up the cliff. Keep walking."

Sunstorm swallowed but obeyed. She stepped warily forward, paw after paw. Suddenly there was light everywhere, reflecting into her eyes blinding her. She squinted and paused.

When her eyes adjusted she realized her head was surrounded by pale, white clouds, leveling off right at neck level. They moved away from her, their wetness clinging to her fur. She looked up into a sky of blue. A large yellow sun hung over her. It's light reflected off of the white surface of the clouds.

"You're here, good."

She looked over. Flower sat on top of a small ledge above her.

"We thought we'd lost you," the light brown tabby meowed. "Now hurry up. It's strange up here."

The she-cat bounded upward to another ledge. Sunstorm tilted her head and looked up. Squinting against the light from the sun above and the light beneath, she could just make out two mud covered cats pulling their way up the narrowing cliff side. The toms had continued on.

Sunstorm quickly jumped up, leaping onto the ledge Flower had abbandoned and started following after the she-cat. She heard Moss huff behind her and then gasp. Sunstorm turned back to look. When she did, she realized she couldn't see the ground at all. There was only white beneath her and blue above. Everything was hidden. Only the distant peaks of other mountains rose through the mist, scattering around her position.

"I've never been this high in my life," Moss meowed. "Or death," she continued after a pause.

"I'd hate to fall through that," Sunstorm commented. "You wouldn't know how close the ground was."

Moss nodded. "No wonder that bird always disappears. We can't see it up here. So where are the others?"

Sunstorm nodded above her.

"I think the peak must be near," Moss meowed, looking passed the ginger-brown she-cat. "No wonder Star wants to hurry. Let's go."

Sunstorm quickly turned around and started up, following in the path of dripped mud Flower had left behind her.

The sun started to sink under the cloud covering when Sunstorm thought she could hear a distant roaring. It was constant and loud, getting louder the higher they climbed. She mentioned it to Moss.  
The she-cat paused. Her ears twitched, a frown on her face. The mud had mostly left the gray she-cat's fur now, just runnels of it continued to cling to the top half of her body, dangling from her belly fur. Sunstorm probably didn't look much better.

"A waterfall," Moss suddenly meowed, an awed look on her face.

"You sure?" Sunstorm asked.

"I grew up with one right outside the cavern," Moss replied. "I'd never forget that powerful sound." She suddenly smiled. "Hurry, I want to see it."

Sunstorm did, quickly jumping her way up the rest of the slope. The ground leveled out and for the second time on the mountain, Sunstorm was on truly flat ground. It wasn't very far, just a few fox lengths in either direction.

Cloud, Star, and Flower stood in front of her, so she couldn't see much. She joined them and saw what they were staring at. Growing at the very edge of the peak, a tall tree thrust itself into the sky. The bare branches twisted and and pointed like large bones. Sunstorm thought she could make out a round nest resting inside. The tall, bare trunk shot down, splitting into thick roots. They tangled as they pushed inside the ground, most rising above the thickly cracked stone, like some sort of maze.

"What is it?" Star meowed, his eyes wide.

She gave him a double glance. Then she saw the other three didn't know what it was either. The only tall things they must have saw were bushes. Even the things they called trees were bushes to Sunstorm. Tall bushes, yes, but they still had so many low branches and leaves that it hid the trunk from view.

"It's a tree," she meowed to them. "We have them in the forests, but usually they have leaves."

They looked at her then back at the tree without words.

"So the hawk lives here," Star growled. He examined the white tree and then looked around as if searching for the giant bird.

"Cloud, you'll be the decoy," he started giving orders. "Flower, you'll go with me to the roots. When the hawk comes for Cloud, we'll pounce. Moss, you take Sunstorm and hide in the lower part of the roots. When it looks like we're losing, that the hawks is getting away, or that it's geting lower, you two rush in and pin the wings."

"Shouldn't we be looking for Water?" Moss asked, turning to the dark ginger tom.

He turned to look at her. Mud ran down his face and through it Sunstorm thought she saw rage deep in his eyes.

"Look around you," he meowed quietly. "If she were here, she would have met us the moment she heard our voices."

"You can't hear much," Flower tried to help.

Sunstorm realized she'd gotten used to the constant drone. She looked around searching for the source of the roar. She spotted a thick, deep pool of water in the center of the plateau. Clear blue gushed from a low rock, forming the pool. The water had carved a crevasse away from the pool, flowing to the edge that jutted farther out from the rest of the peak. She walked over, wanting to see this great waterfall.

Moss followed her and together they peered down. To the left, the water poured downward in thick sheets. The peak was far out from the mountain side, but Susntorm could still spot some boulders just before the clouds. It was beautiful to look at and almost mesmerizing. The water curled in the air, entering the clouds, blowing them away in some kind of dent.

"What if there's more than one?" she could hear Flower meowing somewhere behind her.

"Moss, what are you two doing?" Star snapped. "Get over here into your positions. We have to surprise the bird, not give it a welcoming committee."

Moss turned away, and started to walk over. Sunstorm realized her friend had left and turned around to join the others. Just then, Sunstorm thought she heard a shriek over the sound of the water. She looked up. From the other side of the peak a shadow, outlined by golden light from the sinking sun shot toward her. She froze and the bird flew over her. The wind from the wings pushed her back. Eyes closed against the dust, Sunstorm ducked her head and tried to regain her balance. Her back feet slipped over the edge. It crumbled under her, her shortened claws unable to catch the stone. She fell.

Her front claws caught the very edge. She hung there, her back feet scraping against the cliff side. Her legs shook and her body lowered as she couldn't keep her head above the ledge. As her eyes passed the side, she could see the giant golden hawk swooped down at Cloud. Flower and Star crouched in the roots of the great tree, ready to pounce, as was the plan. She could also see Moss running for her, ignoring the fight behind her.

The edge crumbled even more just as Moss reached her. Sunstorm felt the ledge turn to dust in her paws and she slipped farther down. Her claws dug into the side of the mountain. She stared up as Moss crouched down. Sunstorm's golden eyes met the green of her friend's.

"Hold on," Moss meowed. She put her paw down, reaching as far as she could, her claws extended.

Sunstorm felt lightheaded and she found it hard to breath. She could only think about the nothing underneath her. Then her eyesight seemed to go and a power filled her. It sparked in her head. The familiar power she'd once felt while alive rushed through her, shocking her. Pictures filled her mind so quick she could hardly process it. As she stared upward into the hazy sky, her mouth worked on its own, declaring the words in her head.

"Thunder will be silenced in the forest of darkness. Only the fawn in the shadows and a warrior who crosses unknown skies can stop the evening tiger from tearing down the trees."

Sunstorm snapped out of the trance long enough to realize her hold on the rock had weakened. Moss stared down at her, yowling, trying to reach for her paws. Sunstorm thought she could hear the others fighting the hawk, their growls and scratching, the shriek of the bird. Sunstorm stared up at Moss, back legs pummeled the stone, searching for a hold. But her claws shook, slowly weakening, slipping down, scratches in the rocks. The hold broke. Down she fell, the mountan peak narrowing in her vision as an open-mouthed Moss faded away.

She fell into white, cold mist all around her, the roar of the waterfall next to her, a flash of silver ribbon. Suddenly she was out of the clouds, falling into the air. She flipped, trying to get her feet down. She managed, just to see the mountainside reach up for her, the waterfall landing in a pool. She didn't have much time to see anything else, as for the second time in her life (living and dead) she fell into water and went under. The rushing, white water covered her head and she blacked out.

**THE END**

* * *

**See book 2: Wandering Through for the rest of the story.**


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